About 420 outstanding pupils of Ikorodu public primary schools, drawn from the six council areas, were treated to an unprecedented Christmas shopping and hangout at Victoria Island yesterday by Rep Babajimi Benson, Member, representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency at the House of Reps.
The memorable experience was a bold demonstration of support for academic excellence and reward for merit, promote healthy academic competition, and deepen his long-standing investment in education, the federal lawmaker.
The event, held at Sinomart Mall within the Palms Shopping Mall, Victoria Island, brought together 420 pupils and about 50 teachers from government-owned primary schools across the constituency.
Beneficiaries emerged through a structured, performance-based process. From each participating primary school, the best-performing pupils in Primary One, Primary Two, Primary Three, Primary Four, Primary Five, and Primary Six was selected based strictly on academic results for the year. In addition, the overall best pupil from each school was also selected, ensuring that excellence was rewarded across all learning levels and that every school had multiple representatives.
The pupils were first treated to a cinema experience inside the mall, with popcorn and soft drinks served during the movie session. For many of them, it marked their first-ever visit to a cinema and their first experience of a leisure outing outside Ikorodu.
The highlight of the day followed immediately after, as each pupil received shopping vouchers personally sponsored by Rep. Benson, granting them the freedom to shop for items of their choice at Sinomart Mall. The teachers who accompanied the pupils were also appreciated with shopping vouchers in recognition of their role in nurturing academic excellence.
Speaking on the initiative, Mayor Deen Sanwoola, the Executive Assistant to the Governor of Lagos State and Director-General of Rep. Babajimi Benson’s iCare Foundation, who represented the lawmaker at the outing, explained that the Christmas Shopping and Hangout was designed to deliberately celebrate excellence, motivate pupils to aim higher, and inspire their peers to embrace diligence and discipline in their studies. He noted that the initiative would be sustained as a yearly tradition, reinforcing the message that hard work and academic distinction attract recognition and reward.
The programme also enjoyed strong grassroots and institutional backing, as the Chairmen of the six Local Government and Local Council Development Areas that make up Ikorodu Federal Constituency financially supported the initiative by topping up the shopping vouchers allocated to pupils from their respective councils.
A morale-boosting moment occurred at the convergence point in Ikorodu, where the Executive Chairman of Ikorodu North LCDA, Mayor Ameen Olawale Apanishile; Ikorodu West LCDA Chairman, Hon. (Chief) Sulaimon Kazeem Olanrewaju; Ijede LCDA Chairman, Hon. (Mrs.) Motunrayo Gbadebo-Alogba; and Igbogbo/Baiyeku LCDA Chairman, Omo’ba Hammed Ọlálékan Aroyewun, joined the pupils and teachers on behalf of their colleagues who were unavoidably absent.
The Executive Secretary of the Ikorodu Local Government Education Authority, Alhaji Taiwo Abiodun Odumbo, was also present throughout the outing, accompanying the pupils from departure to return and ensuring smooth coordination and welfare supervision.
In addition to the cinema snacks, the pupils and teachers were later treated to packaged meals after the shopping exercise, further adding to the festive atmosphere.
Several of the pupils, who spoke to journalists, described the experience as unforgettable, expressing excitement at watching movies in a cinema and independently selecting items during the shopping exercise.
The Christmas Shopping and Hangout once again underscores Rep. Babajimi Benson’s people-centred representation and consistent emphasis on education, youth development, and merit-based encouragement across Ikorodu Federal Constituency.
