As part of Coca-Cola’s commitment to leading sustainability across the world, the company, through its philanthropic arm, The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF), has awarded a total of N303 million in grants to eight local non-governmental organisations in Nigeria to support community-based projects.
The grants will support efforts to strengthen communities, empower women and youth, promote well-being, protect the environment and educate scholars. “As a company we are fully committed to act in ways that create a more sustainable and better shared future. To make a difference in people’s lives, communities, and our planet by doing business the right way.”
These eight laudable projects funded by TCCF in Nigeria include: Waste in the City by Statewide Waste and Environmental Education Foundation, Waste to Strap by Platform for Society Support Initiative, Mission Zero Plastic by Aid for Rural Education Access Initiative, Waste to Wealth by Do Good Social Impact Foundation, Tech-Relevant Teacher Programme by Bunmi Adedayo Foundation, Climate Smart Shea Processing Project by Initiative for Gender Empowerment and Creativity, Project DORI by RecyclePoints Foundation and Youth Information Communication and Technology Skills Acquisition Project (YISAP) by Baywood Foundation.
Five of these projects, Waste in the City, Waste to Strap, Mission Zero Plastic, Waste to Wealth, and Project DORI are focused on combating the plastic waste challenge and creating a second life for these plastic bottles clogging our gutters and waterways. These community-based sustainability projects are set to be deployed across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lagos, Delta, Enugu, Oyo, Kwara, Kano, Kaduna, & Bauchi States, and will aid job creation for thousands of women and youth while engendering relevant behavioural changes. The projects seek to recover over 3,000 tons of plastic waste and economically empower over 10,000 women and youths over a 12-month period.
The other projects include the Climate Smart Shea Processing Facility to be set up in Oyo State and focused on the economic recovery of 1,500 rural women who are shea nut farmers, pickers and processors largely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Also noteworthy is the Tech-Relevant Teacher Programme that offers digital teacher training support and technologies for virtual learning across 200 low and middle-cost schools in a bid to improve the learning experience in primary schools, especially in neighborhoods with an increased number of out-of-school children due to the effects of COVID-19. No fewer than 30 schools will receive hardware and content production suites to aid virtual learning.
In Enugu, the Youth Information Communication and Technology Skills Acquisition Project (YISAP) is set to impact the lives of over 600 youths, including persons living with disabilities, through the provision of vocational and entrepreneurial training.
Speaking on the awarded grants, the director, public affairs, communications and sustainability, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, Nwamaka Onyemelukwe, remarked, “Coca-Cola remains committed to continuing our decades-long legacy of supporting local communities, through our business and through The Coca-Cola Foundation. We hope to create a better shared future that makes a difference in people’s lives, communities and our planet.”
Apart from supporting sustainable community initiatives, The Coca-Cola Company is a leading total beverage company in the global fight against plastic waste with its innovative solutions and recycling partnership projects.
Lai Mohammed directs APCON, NBC to guarantee advertising income of media houses
The Federal Government has directed the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) to implement key policies to guarantee the advertising income of media houses by creating a healthy environment for media outfits to operate.
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made this known during the unveiling of the Digital Switch Over/Analogue Switch Off timetable in Abuja.
In his speech, Mohammed said government would also support channel owners and content providers through the implementation of the audience measurement system to guarantee a sustained stream of revenue from advertising for them to invest in the development of compelling content, and “very soon, APCON and NBC will sign a memorandum of understanding on zero advertising debts to ensure that revenue from advertising goes to the media owners.”
Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, registrar/CEO of APCON, commended the minister’s directive. He further stated that a similar directive had recently been given by the minister to APCON on the need for the full implementation of the advertising industry reform guideline.
The industry reform guideline is aimed at creating a healthy business environment, sanitising the industry, setting minimum acceptable business engagement rules and ethical standards, creating jobs for Nigerians as well as encouraging local content in advertising productions. He expressed confidence in the partnership with NBC on the implementation of the minister’s directive, which will further foster growth and development of the industry.
He enjoined stakeholders to put all hands on deck to ensure the success of the DSO project.
First Global Transfer promotes cross-border payments in sub-Saharan Africa
First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s premier and leading financial inclusion services provider, has announced the launch of First Global Transfer (FGT) to promote international transfer of funds across its subsidiaries in sub-Saharan Africa.
The bank’s subsidiaries in Africa include FBNBank DRC, FBNBank Ghana, FBNBank Gambia, FBNBank Guinea, FBNBank Sierra-Leone, FBNBank Senegal.
The FGT initiative is specifically designed to ensure safe, timely and improved efficiency in the transfer of funds across the network of FirstBank subsidiaries in Africa. The FGT is not restricted to FirstBank and FBNBank customers alone but it is also open to every individual resident in the country the funds transfer is originating from.
Intending users of the initiative are to visit any of the Bank’s branches in Nigeria or subsidiaries in Africa, which are: FBNBank DRC, FBNBank Ghana, FBNBank Gambia, FBNBank Guinea, FBNBank Sierra-Leone, or FBNBank Senegal to enjoy the service. For example, with First Global Transfer, individuals and customers in Sierra-Leone can walk into any FBNBank branch to send money to FirstBank customers in Nigeria as well as FBNBank customers in Gambia, Ghana, DR Congo, Senegal or Guinea.
Speaking on the initiative, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, CEO, FirstBank, said “Today’s customer is influenced by the technological advancement shaping businesses across various industries and our First Global Transfer initiative is one of those advancements created to impact every individual in our host community in Africa, whilst promoting the ease and swift transfer of money from one country to another for business or personal activities.”
“With the launch of African Continental Free Trade Area on January 1, 2021, the First Global Transfer is indeed very timely as it will play an essential role in stimulating business activities across borders, thereby impacting the growth and development of the continent. I enjoin everyone to visit any one of our branches nearest to you in Nigeria or our subsidiaries in Africa and send money to your loved ones or business partners with FirstBank or FBNBank account(s),” he concluded.
9mobile holds capacity building session for journalists
As part of its initiatives and ongoing strategic programmes for media engagement, 9mobile recently held a capacity-building session to equip journalists with requisite skills to boost their reporting and adapt effectively to the dynamic media landscape.
The training session, which was held virtually via Zoom in observance of prescribed measures to limit the spread of COVID-19, was facilitated by award-winning and two-time Emmy nominee investigative journalist and regional editor (West Africa), The Conversation Africa, Adejuwon Soyinka.
Speaking on the theme “Online Content Optimization – engaging millennial and Gen-Z audiences with storytelling,” Adejuwon remarked that disruption in news media creates better opportunities for journalists to leverage and tell good stories that connect with new audiences.
According to him, content optimization entails making sure that stories are written and produced in a relatable way and can reach the largest possible target audience, in this case, millennials and Gen-Z.
He said, “Telling a good and captivating story means finding and verifying important or interesting information and then presenting it in a way that engages the audience. The fact remains that attention span is decreasing by the day. In 2000, a study by Microsoft measuring how long people can focus on one thing for a specific amount of time showed that the average person’s attention span was 12 seconds and has further dropped since that study was carried out.”
Access Bank guarantees 5 times refund in fees for delayed reversals
Driven by its commitment to deliver best-in-class service to all its customers, Africa’s largest retail bank, Access Bank Plc, has upgraded its service platforms to allow for resolution of failed transactions within one business day.
The bank has guaranteed that all failed transactions will be reversed within one business day. It has also affirmed that, in the event that reversal time exceeds one business day, customers will be entitled to a refund of up to five times the bank transfer fees for that transaction.
Speaking on this development, Ogor Chukudebelu, Access Bank’s chief customer experience officer, said that Access Bank was committed to “offering more banking convenience for all customers.”
“Access Bank understands the financial and economic hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. While we have put various social impact projects in place, we have also upgraded our banking platforms to ensure that customers can transact without experiencing delays. To reiterate our commitment to providing an excellent service, Access Bank will be refunding customers up to five times the bank transfer fees when a failed transaction is not reversed within one business day.
“As we continue to make great strides as a financial institution, we will not relent in delivering superior value and bespoke financial services that suit the banking needs of our customers,” Chukudebelu said.
