In its bid to create public health awareness among Nigerian youths, ExxonMobil, through its Power Forward programme, has raised over 8,000 malaria champions and public health advocates.
The Power Forward youth development programme has provided life skills and public health awareness seminars, malaria prevention workshops and basketball development programming to more than 250,000 boys and girls across 40 schools in Abuja since 2013.
This year’s programme includes a basketball tournament from June through September that featured 30 boys’ teams and 12 girls’ teams, with the top eight girls’ teams and top 10 boys’ teams participating in the playoffs and the top two girls’ and boys’ teams in the playoffs advancing to the Power Forward Finals.
“Over the past decade, our partnership with NBA Africa and PanAfricare on the Power Forward initiative has promoted youth development through sports, life skills, and public health education,” said ExxonMobil Foundation President, Alvin Abraham.
The NBA Africa Vice President and Country Head of Nigeria, Gbemisola Abudu, said the programme had benefitted more than 250,000 young Nigerians and empowered them to use the leadership skills they learned to work towards a brighter future for Nigeria.
“We are excited to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Power Forward programme as we build on our long-standing commitment to positively impacting the Abuja community,” Abudu said.
On his part, PanAfricare Nigeria Country Director, Dr Patrick Adah, said, “Power Forward in its 10th year has contributed to raising over 8,000 malaria champions and public health advocates.”
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