By Olatunde Dodondawa
Sterling One Foundation has won AS+A Communications’ Award of Excellence for Corporate Social Responsibility in recognition of its positive impact across Nigeria.
As part of its annual award ceremony and commemoration of its Managing Director’s 70th birthday, AS+A Communications awarded the Sterling One Foundation its Corporate Social Responsibility Award of Excellence at an event held in Lagos recently.
The award presented by the company’s Managing Director, Mrs. Adenike Shobanjo, was in recognition of the foundation’s developmental legacies in the areas of health, education, and environment, in partnership with its corporate partner, Sterling Bank.
Mrs. Shobanjo during her opening remarks explained that her company hosts this annual event because of how important it considers social impact work and the role that corporate organizations play in ensuring that the transformation it brings is widespread and has long-term effects.
While presenting the award to Sterling One Foundation, she applauded the efforts of Sterling Bank in setting up the Foundation and empowering them to make a lasting impact in society.
She further charged businesses operating in the country to prioritize corporate social responsibility for the development of the nation.
In her words, “There are influential, well-placed, and endowed Nigerians who sit in their closets without any care for the underprivileged. This event is to encourage them to come out and join us in building a just and egalitarian society.”
“This award is in recognition of all the successes that Sterling has achieved over the years as a socially responsible organization, most especially in areas of health, education, and agriculture,” said Shobanjo.
Accepting the award, the CEO of Sterling One Foundation, Mrs. Olapeju Ibekwe, thanked the organizers while stressing the organization’s focus to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as a way of improving the livelihood of Nigerians and Africans living in underserved communities.
She said that Sterling One Foundation’s focus areas; education, health, climate action, gender equality, and food security are all critical areas that require urgent attention for progress to happen.
She went on to highlight that; “In 2023, the Sterling One Foundation plans to focus on expanding its education programs to reach more out-of-school children, train and fund at least 100,000 youths, plant 10 million economic trees and adopt key primary health centers in at least 10 states through key partnerships.”
