Ogun-Born Professor Distributes Educational Materials To Over 700 Primary School Students
An Ogun State born Professor of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Beatrice Olutoyin Opeolu, who is also the Director of Bee Solutions and Consultant Services has on Thursday distributed educational materials to over 700 public primary school students in Imasayi, Yewa North Local Government area of Ogun State.
The materials include, a dedicated school bag, 6 exercise books and a water bottle for each student at Ansarudeen Primary School and Christ Church Primary School respectively.
The professor, who is based in Cape Town, South Africa, said the philanthropic exercise is her way of fulfilling her pledge to God and herself and giving back to the community and the school where she started from. She cited Imasayi as her birthplace and Ansarudeen Primary School as the starting point of her education, where she graduated from in 1977. Opeolu obtained her BSc (Hons) in Environmental Management and Toxicology at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) in Nigeria in 1995. She graduated with an MSc in Environmental Biology from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, in 2001; and a PhD in Environmental Toxicology from the FUNAAB in 2007. She was appointed Extended Curriculum Coordinator in the Faculty of Applied Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) Cape Town in 2011. At CPUT, she was a full professor and the Leader of the Environment, Climate Change and Sustainability Research Focus Area. Opeolu who is an established researcher (C3-rated) in South Africa was elected President of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) in 2024.
Professor Opeolu distributed the materials in a show of affection and compassion for the students, saying the distribution is also in tandem to marking the one year anniversary of Bee Solutions and Consultant Services, a philanthropic organization based in South Africa and Nigeria.
“Ansarudeen primary school happens to be where my academic journey started from. And I had a pledge to myself and God that when I started this business that whatever earnings come through the business, a portion of it will go to people in vulnerable communities. Vulnerable communities that I stand to benefit nothing from those beneficiaries. And the business became one year old earlier this year in July. So, we started planning from that time. And I thought where best to start if not where my journey in life started. Which is Ansarudeen Primary School, Imasayi. Where I was born and I started my primary school education. That’s why we are here. And the idea is to come to my community and make the children in my community to believe that education is not a scam as they were made to believe at this time. That education is still profitable. That education is still the shortest cut for people that are not born into a rich family.
“So we’re here to motivate a child. To inspire their parents. So that we can raise the next generation of people that will drive global sustainability in global community”, she noted.
Speaking on the alarming rate of out of school children, the professor decried the statistics, crossing almost 40% in Ogun State. She advised parents and government to look inward and invest on indigent students whom she said have potentials to drive change for global community.
“It is sad and I guessed there is nothing new under the earth. I remember when I finished my primary school education in 1977. I remembered my cousin that couldn’t go to school because their parents couldn’t afford their education. So, they were older than me but I finished my higher education before them because I have a committed parent that were willing to pay for my education. These other cousins started their education when UPN came to power and the free education started in Ogun State. And I guessed, it is something we can still look into, the bottom line is, not every parent can still afford education. From primary school to the high school for their children. For some of us, out there, we assume because I pay this much for my child’s education and survive then, every other person living in Nigeria should be able to survive it. Some parents, in our community, if you give them 50,000 naira, the lifestyle of their children will change immediately. But they can’t still even afford that 50,000 thousand naira as school fees. If you want to reduce the rate of dropout children from school, the government should look inward in providing supports for those that we call indigent students. Indigent students that we know have potential to succeed but their parents cannot afford or there is nobody that is willing to support their education. Because I know so many professors that were unable to be because of the issue of funding and support.
“I will advise parents not to give up on their children. Sometimes the most troublesome child may end up be the children that will be something great in life. Don’t give up on any child. We have all been troublesome before, I know I was a troublesome child but no longer today, courtesy of the support from my family and the grace of God. So parents, I will say give your best to your children as much as you can and make sure when you’re dying in your old age, you will be able to say i give my children my best.”
Both Akeeb Hawal and Bashiru Lateef who are primary 6 students of Ansarudeen Primary School, expressed their gratitude on behalf of the rest of the students to Professor Opeolu.
Worthy of note, Ansarudeen Primary School was founded in 1958 while Christ Church Primary School, founded nearly 100 years ago. Christ Church Primary School will be celebrating its centenary by January, 2025.
Opeolu serves on the Technical Committees of several nationally funded projects in South Africa. She is a South African Bureau of Standards (SABS)- Biological Testing Methods voting committee member. She was a co-developer of an international programme of the SETAC online short course aimed at developing countries. She is well regarded as an evaluator of academic programmes for the South African Council on Higher Education (CHE).
Over the past two decades, Opeolu has delivered several speeches as a participant, invited speaker, and keynote speaker in local, regional, and international conferences. She is a sought speaker and panelist at events, including the United Nations Commission on Status of Women (CSW) side events. She convenes the “Inclusive Science for Global Sustainable Development in a Climate-changing World” session at the UN Science Summit scheduled for 12-29 September at the UN Headquarters, New York. She has supervised scores of students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Opeolu mentors many environmental science practitioners in academia, business, and government.
