RUSAL, managers of the Aluminum Smelter Company of Nigeria, has sponsored a quiz competition among select secondary schools in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
The quiz, tagged: “Rusal Educational Summit 2025,” was organised by the Community Education Development Initiative with support from RUSAL.
The competition, which took place at the ALSCON Staff Secondary School, was aimed at boosting the educational growth and development of students of the company’s host communities.
The General Manager Public Relations of ALSCON, Alexander Ashkinazi, who declared the quiz tournament open, said the quiz competition was part of the company’s community social responsibility to its host communities.
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Apart from the quiz tournament, Ashkinazi maintained that ALSCON has initiated several educational and skills empowerment programmes within and outside the company for indigenes of Ikot Abasi LGA and its environ.
He said: “RUSAL’s management pays great attention to the educational process and everything related to increasing students’ motivation and developing useful practical skills.
“We have initiated a series of essential processes for the community, including: Providing assistance in the Russia-Nigeria bilateral educational programme.
“Currently, 10 sons and daughters of Ikot Abasi are already involved in it.
“In 2024, seven students were sent.
“In 2025, five candidates, of which three are already studying, and two are preparing to be sent. Currently, 11 are undergoing pre-training for dispatch at the end of 2025.”
On skills acquisition training, Ashkinazi said: “As part of the Fork Lift initiative, which is an active form of the industrial attachment, five young men have been trained and acquired the skills to operate a Forklift truck.
“Computer classes are conducted on the basis of our laboratory, in which two groups of 17 students have already graduated.
“The third group of nine people is being trained.
“We have initiated the second round of Industrial attachment in the areas of welder and mechanic.
“This is a pilot programme that started on March 3, 2025 and involves two representatives of Ikot Abasi.
“The Ikot Abasi Skills Acquisition Centre for girls was opened in November 2024.
“Now children have the opportunity to acquire practical skills by studying hairdressing, modelling, manicure and pedicure, tailoring and shoemaking.
“The association of young single mothers contacted us and now the centre provides them with free assistance.”
Ashkinazi said that RUSAL’s management and ALSCON are firmly committed to the goal of resuming ALSCON’s operations after resolving the key issues like the legal dispute over ownership and stable gas supply after a feasible price has been agreed on.
“We are confident that through joint efforts with the support of the community and their leaders at the local and regional levels, as well as with the participation of the Federal Government, it will be possible to resolve all existing obstacles.”
Earlier, the Coordinator of CEDI, Comrade Uboho Oku, explained that the quiz competition was organised to promote academic excellence and boost the minds of young people in Ikot Abasi.
Oku said: “We sincerely appreciate RUSAL, the managers of ALSCON, for sponsoring this quiz competition aimed at promoting academic excellence and brightening the future of young people.”
ALSCON Staff Secondary School emerged overall winner of the quiz competition followed by Saint Theresa Secondary School, which came second.
Ten schools participated in the quiz competition.
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