A new Jollof rice project tagged NAIJA Jollof, championed by IAMBRANDNIGERIA, has been launched and it is set to break the Guinness Book Record by feeding 10,000 street children in Lagos.
Revealing this at the 2019 IAMBRANDNIGERIA Award/Gala, where Top 50 Most Valuable Brands in Nigeria were honoured in Lagos, Mr. Taiwo Oluboyede, CEO of IAMBRANDNIGERIA, said, “We are setting a new Guinness World Record for the largest serve of Jollof rice in Nigeria next year.”
According to Oluboyede, “Jollof is becoming the most engaging topic in both Anglo and Francophone African countries, just like football. Food brings people together,” he said.
“Come next year, 60 top chefs will be cooking six tonnes of rice in a single pot and we are feeding 10,000 children in Lagos, many of them on the street. This has been described as a one of the largest humanitarian endeavours in our country, where that number of people are touched in a single day,” Oluboyede said. “It is a combination of Jollof and the best of Nigerian music in one place.”
Describing the size of the pot, volume of rice and number of chefs to cook the Jollof, the IAMBRANDNIGERIA CEO said, “The 4.5m diameter pot, one of the largest in the world will be displayed on the street before donation to the museum, where people can see and get inspired. One of the exciting things about this project is that the pot is made here in Nigeria.”
Jollof has gone beyond just an ordinary food. It is now a fashion statement, a common language and heritage to about 500 million people across West Africa and beyond.
He said, Jollof has created a healthy ‘rivalry’ amongst West African countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal and others. We wouldn’t pass any little opportunity to show we have the best of it. You can understand why every food and seasoning brands are delighted in putting us against each other. It is also a sensational trending topic on social media.
With smart foods being an integral part of the country’s budding e-commerce platforms, Oluboyede stated that “Now, as the largest producer of rice in Africa, we have the necessary element to make Jollof a Nigeria’s brand collateral by becoming an undisputable authority in it. The benefits are immeasurable, in tourism, rice value chain, innovation, even job creation.”
He said. This will be happening at the #IAMBRANDNIGERIA National Food festival, a thrilling food and drink event, where thousands will be exciting their taste buds with plethora of Nigerian dishes.
“It is also a Jollof + Music with popular Nigerian performance entertaining guests at the event.”
Stating further, he said, history has shown that record breaking is a strategic way of attracting attention to People, Places and Products and Guinness World Record has become a marketing tool for nations and businesses looking to attract customers and investors.
From every indication, this is expected to be one of the top 3 most talked about and engaging events of 2020 in Nigeria, because of the popularity and the social media frenzy that always accompanies the subject.
He said, this world record is expected to create a global media awareness and appeal about us, our opportunities and tourism sector as the news breaks on global and local news platforms. It’s also a sense of pride for us as a people as we showcase opportunities in our rice value chains.
Access Bank, Genesis House jaw-jaw on gender violence
With an intent to address human rights violations and sexual violence against women and girls, Africa’s largest retail bank, Access Bank Plc., through the Access Women Network (AWN), and Genesis House hosted the 2019 edition of Orange Lecture recently at the bank’s headquarters on Victoria Island, Lagos.
A recent study by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) shows that 28 percent of Nigerian women aged 25 – 29 have experienced some form of physical violence since age 15, while nearly 3 in 10 Nigerian women have experienced physical violence by age 15. According to UNICEF, one in four girls and one in 10 boys in Nigeria has experienced sexual violence before the age of 18. 
Describing the statistics as worrisome during her keynote address, Harriet Thompson, British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, lauded the efforts of Access Bank and Genesis House in organizing the lecture saying, “Without gender equality and women playing a full role in all aspects of society, no country can achieve its potential. We must also put an end to the violence against Nigerian children if we are to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030”.
Now in its fifth year, the event was focused on encouraging stakeholders to lend a voice to the efforts in tackling violence against women, and to support vulnerable, sexually-exploited females by providing information on rehabilitation and support services available to help them overcome their ordeals.
Speaking on Access Bank’s involvement, Sunmbo Olatunji, the Group Head, Treasury, Access Bank Plc., said, “With our promise to offer ‘More Than Banking’, the Orange Lecture is an important platform that we have chosen to champion. The Access Women Network (AWN), has maintained a partnership with Genesis House, an arm of Freedom Foundation, to support their rehabilitation programs for survivors of domestic and sexual abuse”.
Genesis House is a female residential rehabilitation and resource centre in Lagos. Since its establishment in 2006, the foundation has gradually expanded its program, and is now structured to support vulnerable young women within the ages of 18 – 25 years’ old who have been sexually abused, exploited and trafficked.
In her address, Adesola Bello, the Coordinating Manager, Freedom Foundation, said, “At the Genesis House, we understand that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to helping women navigate through their trauma. Therefore, the programme is tailored to deliver specific solutions in an intensively-therapeutic and highly-supportive environment that provides physical, emotional and vocational support that they need to get their lives back on track.”
UBA on winning streak, gets double recognition as best CSR company
…Bola Atta is ‘Best Corporate Affairs Professional’ for 2019
Pan-African financial Institution, United Bank for Africa Plc, once again got double recognition over the weekend when it emerged the best institution in support of Education(CSR) 2019 as the CEO, UBA Foundation and Group Head, Corporate Communications, Bola Atta, also received the award as Top Corporate Affairs professional 2019, at the 7th Annual Brands & Marketing Conference. The event was held at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce Exhibition centre last Friday.
Atta beat other nominees to the prize as a result of her impressive contributions at the steer of UBA’s corporate communications with various laudable initiatives that have further increased the banks market share and brand presence ahead of competition.
The successful organisation of the UBA Marketplace, which took place in Abuja last July, positioning UBA as a foremost pan-African bank and the birth of REDTV, the fast-paced digital lifestyle channel, were some of her achievements read out as she received the award.
UBA’s CSR arm, the UBA Foundation, was crowned best institution in support of Education (CSR) 2019 for its dedication to improving access to education on the continent, particularly through the National Essay Competition where students have received grants from the foundation, for the past 9 years, at tertiary institutions in Africa.
About the National Essay Competition as she thanked the BJAN for the awards, Atta said, “it is always such joy to see winners of this competition each year and to know that with the grants that they receive to go to university, they will be changing their lives, the lives of their families and impacting their communities positively.”
Education remains one of the main pillars of the UBA Foundation.
Since 2012, the Brand Journalist Association Conferences Awards have been celebrating outstanding companies who through their immense contributions have become the game changers driving the wheels of growth for brands and by extension development in Africa.
President of BJAN, Princewill Ekwujuru, commended UBA Foundation for its strong footprint across Africa. “Through its Read Africa Initiative and the scholarship grants given to winners of the National Essay Competition, the Foundation has done very well to transform the lives of many’.
He said the awards were borne out of the need to recognise the Game Changers whose relentless contributions have helped give hope to Africa and at the same time, drive sustainable development amid strife.
“For these companies, they understand that agility, innovation, fluidity, decisiveness and commitment accelerate the pace of change, Africa craves for,” he said.