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Coca-Cola Foundation Pledges To Boost Environmental Sustainability, Partners Recycles Pay And Clean Up Naija
The Coca-Cola Foundation has awarded grants to the Africa Clean Up Initiative, pioneers of the famous Recycles Pay and Clean-Up Naija project.
This is in line with Coca-Cola’s commitment to fostering a World Without Waste, as these grants are aimed at bolstering efforts to reduce waste created by food and beverage packaging waste and other non-biodegradable substances.
The financial grants will help fund the expansion of the Recycles Pay project, which had immense success in the pilot phase, as well as the Clean Up Naija initiative.
This Recycles Pay is a remarkable program targeted at low-tuition schools, in which parents have the opportunity to pay their ward’s fees with plastic bottles. It is an initiative created to provide solutions to educational and environmental issues in rural areas of Nigeria.
To help increase the capacity of the project, The Coca-Cola Foundation awarded grants towards ensuring that a minimum of 20 new schools are reached across multiple states with about 2,000 children kept in school through this initiative.
The Recycles Pay Educational Project launched on February 7, 2020, at Isrina Schools, Ajegunle, Lagos with excited parents and teachers in attendance.
The second project, Clean Up Naija, is community-led and will be carried out across multiple states in a bid to deliver a clean and healthy environment.
The initiative seeks to get volunteers to help clean-up communities to foment a cleaner and more sustainable environment. African Clean Up Initiative, with the support of The Coca-Cola Foundation grant, targets to achieve 20 cleanup events across Nigeria within the calendar year. The series of cleanups are poised to kick off on February 22 at Obalende- Lagos.
Extending his gratitude to The Coca-Cola Foundation for the grants awarded, Alexander Akhigbe, founder of the African Clean Up Initiative, said: “I would like to thank The Coca-Cola Foundation for awarding us with these incredible grants.
“To be noticed by them shows that we have done important work so far. These grants will no doubt prove useful in increasing our capacity as an organisation and helping us impact more lives through our projects.”
Speaking on the grants awarded, Nwamaka Onyemelukwe, public Affairs, Communications & Sustainability Manager Coca-Cola Nigeria; remarked on the company’s efforts at creating shared opportunities in communities where they do business.
“The Coca-Cola Foundation is delighted to partner with The African Clean Up Initiative to upscale the Recycles pay and Cleanup Naija projects.
“This is an important partnership for underserved communities – ensuring children from underprivileged homes remain in school and identifying new ways to prevent plastic waste from littering our environment and entering our rivers and oceans.
“The World Without Waste strategy of The Coca-Cola Company and The Foundation’s focus on recycling and behavioural-change projects highlight the need for greater collaboration between business, governments, charitable organizations, researchers and NGOs to make this happen. We believe projects such as the Recycles pay and Clean-up Naija programs are a real and effective means of working together to deliver real change around the world.”
Hon. Aboluwodi Solomon, educational secretary, Akeromi-Ifelodun L.G.A, lauded the Recycles Pay initiative and praised The Coca-Cola Foundation for supporting it: “I am very delighted to see the smiles on these parents’ faces. You can tell that their lives have been impacted and that makes me very happy.
“I would also like to thank Coca-Cola for supporting this project, this initiative is an important and innovative one and their support means many more many children can get access to education while also ensuring that our environment is being rid of plastic waste.”
He further stated that this ties into the Lagos State Blue box programme and gave his commitment to ensure that more schools in Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government join this noble initiative.
One of the recipients, Patience Onukwu, expressed her gratitude to the African Clean Up Initiative and Coca-Cola. According to her, the Recycles Pay program has given her and her kids a new lease on life: “When I heard of Recycles Pay and what it was about, I could not believe it.
“Using plastic to pay your child’s school fees? I thought it was a lie until I decided to try my hand.
“Today all my 3 children’s school fees are paid from plastic packaging waste proceeds. Recyclepays program has changed my life and that of my children for the better and I cannot thank the organisers enough.” she said.
Since its launch in 1984, The Coca-Cola Foundation offers community support programs that have led to the improvement of the quality of life of the communities around the World.
Driven by a need to create a better-shared future for the communities we live and work in, The Coca-Cola Foundation has contributed more than $1 billion to help protect the environment, promote recycling, empower women and enhance communities around the world.
Africa Prudential Plc has reaffirmed its commitment to sustainable growth and digital transformation after posting another strong half-year financial performance, driven by robust growth in its core registrar business, technology-driven solutions and increased activity in Nigeria’s capital market.
Speaking during the company’s H1 2026 Investor Call on Tuesday, the management outlined plans to deepen revenue diversification and accelerate innovation as part of efforts to reduce reliance on interest income and strengthen long-term profitability.
The company reported gross earnings of ₦4.28 billion for the first half of 2026, representing a 27 per cent increase from ₦3.34 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.
Profit before tax rose by 22 per cent to ₦2.41 billion, while profit after tax climbed 18 per cent to ₦1.59 billion.
Net operating income also increased by 27 per cent to ₦4.21 billion, while total assets grew by 13 per cent to ₦46.53 billion. Shareholders’ funds similarly rose by 13 per cent to ₦12.52 billion.
According to the company, the impressive performance was driven by sustained growth in its registrar business, increased corporate actions across the Nigerian capital market, stronger treasury earnings supported by the prevailing interest rate environment and rising adoption of its technology-enabled products and services.African Mineral Wealth
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Catherine Nwosu, said Africa Prudential is steadily evolving from a traditional share registrar into a diversified technology and business solutions provider serving the broader capital market ecosystem.
Addressing concerns from investors about the sustainability of earnings if interest rates decline, Nwosu said the company was deliberately expanding its non-interest income sources.
“Interest rates influence our treasury income positively, but that is why we are deliberately diversifying our revenue streams. Our strategy is to grow recurring fee-based business lines such as our digital solutions, Know Your Customer (KYC) services, AGM technology, probate services and the SabiVest mobile app. Over time, this will reduce our reliance on interest income and create a more balanced and resilient earnings mix,” she said.
She noted that increasing activity in the Nigerian capital market presents fresh opportunities for technology-driven solutions.
“With capital market activity nearly doubling over the past year, demand for seamless digital investor experiences, improved market efficiency and stronger compliance standards continues to grow. We are investing in technology-enabled solutions that position us to capitalise on these opportunities while delivering sustainable value to our shareholders,” she added.
Looking ahead, the company identified five strategic priorities for the second half of 2026, including driving sustainable growth through its core registrar business and new revenue streams, accelerating technology-led product innovation, strengthening brand leadership, investing in talent development and reinforcing corporate governance.
The investor call attracted institutional investors, shareholders, analysts, regulators and other capital market stakeholders, reflecting strong interest in Africa Prudential’s earnings outlook, revenue diversification strategy and long-term growth plans.
News
IHS Nigeria Donates Business-Support Equipment to Empower People with Disabilities in Abuja Community
Communications infrastructure company, IHS Nigeria, has donated business support equipment to empower people with disabilities within the Karonmajiji community in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. This is part of the company’s commitment to drive inclusive community development and sustainable livelihood support under its Project Empower initiative.
The equipment was distributed to beneficiaries during a ceremony held in the community on Monday, July 27. The initiative was conceived following a community needs assessment and is designed to empower active traders by providing them with business tools rather than cash grants, thereby strengthening their businesses and ensuring long-term economic impact and accountability.
Speaking at the event, Director, Sustainability, IHS Nigeria, Titilope Oguntuga, described the initiative as a reflection of the company’s commitment to advancing inclusive development by equipping persons with disabilities with the tools and opportunities needed to build resilient livelihoods.
She explained that rather than providing short-term financial assistance, IHS Nigeria adopted an asset-based approach by donating 50 pieces of business support equipment, including sewing machines, freezers, generators and hairdressing kits, to the selected beneficiaries.
According to her, the intervention is designed to create lasting value by supporting entrepreneurship, promoting self-reliance and strengthening household incomes, while contributing to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).
In his opening remarks, the Chief of the Karonmajiji Disabled Community, Alhaji Sulaiman Muhammed Katsina, represented by the Secretary of the Community, Alhaji Mohammed Dantani commended IHS Nigeria for its commitment to empowering persons with disabilities through practical and sustainable interventions.
He described the initiative as a demonstration of genuine partnership with the community and expressed appreciation for the company’s continued engagement with the Association, noting that the donation of the equipment was a significant investment in improving the livelihoods of persons with disabilities and would create meaningful economic opportunities for the beneficiaries and their families.
The event brought together traditional rulers, government representatives, leaders and members of the Karonmajiji Disabled Community Association, implementing partners, including Field of Skills and Dreams Vocational Technical and Entrepreneurship (FSD VTE) Training Institute and other community stakeholders, reaffirming a shared commitment to promoting inclusion and sustainable community development.
Project Empower reinforces IHS Nigeria’s commitment to advancing sustainable development through strategic partnerships that promote economic inclusion, strengthen community resilience and create opportunities for underserved communities.
The Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIBN) and the Association of Corporate Communication and Marketing Professionals in Banks (ACAMB) have enjoined banks to further deepen and prioritize financial inclusion, women’s empowerment and sustained growth through strategic mandates and frameworks, aimed at closing the financial gap and empowering more small, and medium enterprise (MSME) owners.
Both organisations made this call during a courtesy visit to the newly invested 24th President and Chairman of Council of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Dr. Dele Alabi, Ph.D, FCIB, as part of plans to congratulate him on his investiture as well as seek a stronger alliance between both bodies.
The visit followed Alabi’s investiture where he unveiled his “IMPACT” Vision, themed “Consolidating Our Local Impact, Enhancing Our Global Relevance.”
The vision rests on six pillars: Inclusion across geographic, gender, and generational lines; Membership growth and quality; Professionalism and ethics; Accountability; Competencies and skills development; Technology, automation, and innovation. Other areas of shared interest, include women empowerment, financial inclusion and literacy, as well as MSME clinics, all of which are top on his agenda.
Alabi explained that under him, the institute will be prioritising financial inclusion and women empowerment, because of its realisation that women are often the primary financial managers and caregivers in families. Access to savings, micro-credit, and insurance acts as a safety net during crisis and allows them to significantly improve living conditions.
He added that CIBN would be happy to drive joint knowledge sharing and exchange sessions with CBN and ACAMB across various platforms. “Educating the public through public awareness programmes, with ACAMB as the rallying point, is central to what we do,” he noted.
ACAMB President, Jide Sipe, who led the delegation, spoke in unison with the CIBN president, as he noted that, closing the inbalances in financial access help economies grow faster, reduces inequality, and encourages greater civic participation by all.
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