News
Coca Cola’s Safe Birth Initiative Moves to FMC Owerri, Hands over Equipments worth N290M
Coca Cola Nigeria Limited, took its Safe Birth Initiative (SBI), aimed at improving maternal outcomes and reducing child mortality incidents to Federal Medical Center, Owerri. This is impelled by the need to aid the country’s attainment of its sustainable development commitments.
The equipment and supplies worth a total conservative value of about $800,000, ie over N290 Million, were formally unveiled and handed over at a special event held at the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri on February 21, 2020.
Every year, thousands of women and newborns die from preventable causes as a result of a lack of access to or poor healthcare services. It is estimated that no fewer than seven million babies are born in Nigeria annually.
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), one in 34 Nigerian babies die before their first birthday. It is against this background that the Safe Birth Initiative was created by Coca Cola Nigeria in collaboration with Medshare International and the Federal Government through the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs and the Federal Ministry of Health in 2018.
The initiative was created to strengthen the capacity of selected tertiary reference institutions across the country through the procurement of vital maternal and neonatal medical equipment/supplies, training biomedical engineering/technicians to improve equipment maintenance and repairs of abandoned medical equipment.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Nwamaka Onyemelukwe, public affairs and communications manager, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, restated Coca Cola’s commitment to upholding the health and well-being of women as cornerstone pillars of the society.
“The issue of maternal mortality is very important to us because it affects the wellbeing of women. Globally, Coca-Cola has a commitment to women whom we consider pillars of the society and also pillars of our business in Africa, where they have always played a dominant role in our vast distribution and retail network. Through the SBI, we want to support the untiring efforts of our hard working doctors, midwives and nurses who battle against great odds in our public hospitals to manage life-threatening complications affecting mothers and the newborn”. she said.
The Minister for Health, represented by Dr Ugochukwu Onyeonoro, head, Clinical Services, Federal Medical Center, Umuahia, expressed his gratitude to Coca-Cola Nigeria and Medshare International for the equipment donated to the Federal Medical Center, Owerri.
He said, “I am happy about this initiative championed by Coca-Cola and Medshare. These contributions will certainly contribute to the reduction in mother and child mortality rate in Nigeria as a whole.”
Speaking on the partnership with Coca-Cola, Director of Biomedical Training and Technical Services, Medshare International, Dr Eben Amstrong said, “There is no way these equipment and consumables would have gotten to Federal Medical Center, Owerri without Coca-Cola.
“They have been a very efficient and able partner and Medshare International is grateful for that”.
The Chairman of the Board, Federal Medical Center, Owerri, Senator Ishaq Adebayo Salman also expressed his gratitude to Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited and Medshare International.
He said, “I would like to thank Coca-Cola and Medshare for their contributions to Federal Medical Center, Owerri.
“They did not stop at donating the necessary equipment needed in the hospital; they went further to train the biomedical staff both on technical skills and on character to ensure more lives are saved.”
The installation and unveiling at FMC Owerri makes it the fourth beneficiary hospital to receive medical equipment under this Initiative.
A total of 15 major public hospitals recommended by the Federal Ministry of Health, will receive hospital equipment, kits and supplies worth a total conservative value of about $10.8 million, i.e. over N3.8 billion as Coca Cola and its partners Medshare International hope to promote improved maternal care experience at these public health institutions.
Coca Cola Nigeria has imprinted strong local footprints in more than 200 countries across the globe through strategic projects that tackle some of the challenges that impede the sustainable development of communities.
Since Inception, the SBI has delivered ten units of forty-foot containers of medical equipment, kit and supplies to four target public health Institutions; National Hospital, Abuja, Federal Medical Centre Ebute Metta, Lagos, Alimosho General Hospital, Igando and now Federal Medical Center, Owerri.
A total of over 120 Biomedical Engineers/technicians drawn across various beneficiary institutions have also been trained under the initiative.
PalmPay, Nigeria’s leading digital banking platform, has announced the launch of its ₦400 million festive rewards campaign, designed to reward users with cash prizes and fully sponsored international travel experiences for everyday transactions on the PalmPay app.
The campaign will run from December 17, 2025, to January 8, 2026. The campaign is designed to reward everyday transactions with extraordinary experiences. It runs alongside PalmPay’s Purple December brand campaign, which focuses on wrapping up the company’s key brand and community initiatives for the year.
At the centre of the rewards campaign is the PalmPay World Travel Carnival, an interactive card collection experience that allows users to earn city cards by completing transactions on the app. Users are required to collect five city cards – London, New York, Dubai, Sydney, and Cape Town and combine them into a World Card, which unlocks a share of the prize pool.
The more World Cards a user creates, the larger their share of the cash rewards. Any extra uncombined cards can be swapped with friends and other PalmPay users to help complete additional World Cards.
Beyond cash rewards, the Carnival also offers Free Global Trips. In each round, the top two users with the highest number of eligible transactions (₦100 and above) and at least one World Card will win an all-expense-paid international trip.
The travel grand prize covers:
- Visa fees
- Round-trip international airfare
- 5-day, 4-night hotel accommodation
- Side attraction
- Meal expenses
- Airport pick-up and drop-off
- All transportation for scheduled tour activities during the trip
Winners will be determined through a transparent leaderboard system, with prizes credited automatically at the end of each round on December 25, December 31, and January 8.
Participation is simple:
- Complete tasks on the PalmPay app, such as Airtime, Data, Transfers, and other specific transactions listed in the app, to earn cards.
- Collect all five city cards.
- Swap cards with friends to complete your collection.
- Combine cards to form a World Card and earn cash rewards.
- Perform more transactions to climb the leaderboard for a chance at the global trip prize.
To ensure fairness, PalmPay has instituted strict rules: no cheating, bots, fake accounts, or manipulation. Any violations may lead to disqualification or account bans. Additionally, the Free Travel Prize is limited to one per user throughout the campaign.
Speaking on the launch, Femi Hanson, Head of Marketing & Communication, “This festive rewards campaign is about turning everyday banking into meaningful value for our users. With the World Travel Carnival as the headline activation, we are reinforcing PalmPay’s promise of being the smarter way to bank—where smart financial decisions unlock bigger opportunities.”
The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to conduct a nationwide energy survey aimed at closing long-standing data gaps in Nigeria’s power sector. The initiative is expected to guide policy, attract investment, and accelerate universal electricity access.
Signed in Abuja, the agreement establishes a National Energy Survey based on the Multi-Tier Tracking Framework (MTF), a globally recognized methodology that measures electricity access not only by grid connection but also by quality, affordability, reliability, and usage of electricity and clean cooking solutions.
The survey will be implemented under the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) of the World Bank. Dr. Abba Aliyu, REA Managing Director/CEO, said the partnership underscores REA’s commitment to evidence-based rural electrification planning and will generate detailed insights on electricity access and off-grid solutions nationwide.
Prince Adeyemi Adeniran, Statistician-General of the Federation/CEO of NBS, emphasized that reliable statistics are essential for effective policymaking, assuring that NBS will provide technical oversight, sampling expertise, and quality assurance to meet global standards.
The survey will assess energy access, household affordability, expenditure patterns, and the adoption of off-grid technologies such as solar home systems, mini-grids, and clean cooking solutions. REA will provide sector expertise and policy alignment, while NBS manages regulatory approvals, methodology, and technical supervision.
Funded and technically overseen by the World Bank, the exercise will run for 18 months, with the resulting data expected to improve national energy planning, programme targeting, and private sector investment, particularly in underserved and rural communities.
Officials said the collaboration reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening inter-agency coordination, enhancing energy data availability, and advancing Nigeria’s goal of universal electricity and clean cooking access.
The Stakeholders in Blockchain Technology Association of Nigeria (SiBAN), the nation’s foremost self-regulatory body for the blockchain industry, has completed its election cycle, heralding the beginning of a new executive council dedicated to scaling Nigeria’s digital economy.
The highly anticipated elections concluded recently with the emergence of a new leadership team poised to champion industry standards, foster innovation, and drive widespread adoption of blockchain technology across the country.
The newly elected executives, who will officially assume their roles in January 2026, represent a blend of legal, financial, and technical expertise critical for navigating the evolving regulatory landscape.
Leading the charge is Mela Claude-Ake, a lawyer, who has been elected the President of SiBAN to succeed the outgoing President, Obinna Iwuno, whose tenure was marked by significant achievements, including facilitating crucial reforms and forging strategic partnerships with regulators and other critical stakeholders in the digital asset industry. Mr. Iwuno will formally hand over the reins to the new council in January 2026.
Other elected to the executive council are Chimene Chinah – Vice President 1, in charge of Blockchain education and adoption; Oroke Cornelius – Vice President 2, in charge of membership, strategic partnerships, and funding; and Ayo Shonibare – Vice President 3, in charge of policy, regulation, and ethics.
Others are Ugochukwu Peters – Vice President 4 in charge of digital asset operations and capital markets, Mbene Vivian – Chief strategy officer in charge of projects and incubation, Olufunmilayo Tugbobo as Financial Secretary/Chief Financial Officer, and Chiemeka David Ohajionu as Chief Communications Officer.
The newly elected council’s structure reflects SiBAN’s commitment to addressing key pillars of the blockchain ecosystem: from grassroots education and fostering innovation through projects, to establishing robust regulatory frameworks.
In his acceptance speech, Mela Claude-Ake emphasized the vital role SiBAN plays in shaping the future of finance and technology in Nigeria.
“The trust placed in this new council is not one we take lightly. We inherit a great foundation built by the outgoing team. Our mission now is to accelerate. We stand at a critical juncture where the potential of blockchain to revolutionize every sector, from finance and governance to supply chain, is undeniable. This new council will focus relentlessly on advancing smart, collaborative regulation, democratizing blockchain education, and protecting the interests of all stakeholders to ensure that Nigeria remains a leader in the African digital economy space,” he assured.
He added that he is humbled by the opportunity to be the face of one of Nigeria’s youngest and most promising sectors — blockchain tech.
“As a tech enthusiast I am excited at the possibilities. The ecosystem needs careful nurturing by the government. My administration will be focused on building new bridges for the blockchain sector internationally and domestically, establishing trust with the public and unifying the sector. I enjoin all blockchain stakeholders in Nigeria, connected to Nigeria or of nigerian heritage to join hands together with my administration in building the industry of our dreams.”
The industry now looks forward to the handover ceremony in January 2026 and the initiatives the new SiBAN leadership will unveil to solidify the association’s role as a catalyst for innovation and a respected partner to the Nigerian government.
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