The Nation Newspaper

Category: Building & Properties

  • Fed. Govt approves N700m for Farin Ruwa Dam

    The Federal Government has approved N700 million to complete and deliver the Farin Ruwa Hydro power project in Wamba Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

    The project is aimed  at boosting power generation in Nigeria.

    But while inspecting the project  during the week, Dr. Musa Ibrahim, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, said the government is desirous of completing and delivering the project soon.

    He told the News Agency of Nigeria that the Federal Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nasarawa State Government to enable it takeover and complete the dam project.

    He said: “As at 2003 to 2004, the project was 65 per cent completed as the state government had purchased all the needed equipment, but unfortunately there was fire outbreak on the project site which destroyed most equipment, while some also became obsolete.

    “Governor Tanko Al=makura had expressed the state government’s inability to complete the project, so the ministry made a presentation to President Muhammadu Buhari. He however approved the release ofN700 million in the 2018 budget for the takeoff of the project,” he said.

    Ibrahim said that the project conceptualised in 2001 with the intention of providing no fewer than 20megawatts of electricity to Nasarawa State, was stalled due to paucity of funds, saying that the state government had initially spent N6 billion for the purchase of equipment for the project that had become moribund, to be make the project be up and running.

    Ibrahim said the Federal Government might spend additional N10 billion for its full completion, stating that the effort was part of Federal Government’s commitment to complete all ongoing and abandoned water projects in the country.

    He said that the project, which was initially developed for hydropower generation, would however include water supply and irrigation component, adding that construction of 20km access road to the project had begun.

    He said that the ministry had engaged the service of a consultant and had submitted the draft report, saying a bid process had also been announced for contractors to develop the project, adding that a Public Private Partnership approach might be developed to ensure the full optimisation of the dam.

    Musa expressed optimism that when the project was completed, it would improve power generation in the country, create employment, increase water supply and boost food security.

    He said that when the project was conceived, the estimated hydropower potential of the dam was put at 20 megawatts, saying with improved technology, it may be increased to 24 megawatts.

    “We are currently doing a hydrological analysis of the dam to know the amount of water to expect, this will be in partnership with the ministry of power, works and housing and other relevant agencies.’’

  • Residents decry Apapa gridlock

    The Apapa Government Reserved Area Residents Association (AGRA) has said the parking  of trucks and trailers is a menace to their environment.

    The association warned that the continuous parking of trucks and tankers, which blocks roads, bringing traffic to a standstill, would no longer be acceptable.

    It, therefore, issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to rid all bridges and roads in the area of trucks to ease movement.

    The association’s President, Sola Ayo-Vaughan, a retired Brigadier-General, blamed the government for the problem, saying it failed to implement its own laws.

    He regretted that the problem, which started in Apapa, had snowballed into parts of Lagos, making movement in the area and its environs a nightmare.

    The retired general lamented that the bridges, which were built to facilitate movement of vehicles, have been converted into parking lots for trailers and tankers, thereby restricting vehicular movement.

    “Turning bridges into a parking lot is unacceptable anywhere because of the inherent danger that may consequently cause calamity.

    “The government has been warned of the looming danger, which is inevitable if this practice continues. It is a matter of time. It is worthy to note that government officials and the chief executive officers of the companies, government parastatals operating in Apapa and Tin-Can Island ports do not reside in Apapa,” he said.

    According to him, the government agencies and shipping companies operating in the area are aware of the situation, but do not care because of the financial benefits they derive from it.

    He alleged that shipping firms were feeding fat on unearned container deposit and demurrage, and terminal operators having a field day collecting crazy storage charges from importers by restricting trucks in ports under the guise of no network.

    He added that truckers were also benefitting from the chaos by hiking their rates from N70, 000 within Lagos to N600, 000.

    “Residents and workers in Apapa are in this mess alone and if we don’t stand up for ourselves, nothing will happen. Anything short of physical mobilisation at this point will be meaningless.

    ‘’The Apapa gridlock is man-made and we are pressed beyond measures to do something about it,” he added.

    He added: “It is our belief that the government and its agencies in connivance with shipping companies deliberately refused to implement the policies meant to keep the trucks off our roads to force us out and turn the whole Apapa into port area.”

  • FBRA: recycling crucial to environmental preservation, job

    The Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA) has emphasised waste recycling, especially those of food and beverage packaging, as vital in environmental preservation.

    According to FBRA, the value chain in the recycling process leads to job and wealth creation.

    FBRA Vice Chairman, Adekunle Olusuyi, who spoke at the 12th National Stakeholders’ Forum of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) in Abuja, said the Alliance has been intensifying awareness on separation of waste and environmental pollution, especially on post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, which can further be recycled to other useful products.

    Olusuyi explained that FBRA participation in the summit was in line with the Alliance’s commitment to the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy of government, to help build a sustainable healthy environment that leads to business growth.

    “We are looking at the entire packaging lifecycle – from how bottles and cans are designed and made, to how they are recycled and repurposed.  We want to reduce the waste we generate as much as possible, encourage recycling, and our initiatives in this regard have been well tailored in achieving tangible results along with our partners,” he stated.

    The stakeholders’ forum, which had the theme: “Circular Economy and Environmental Governance”, provided a platform for an in-depth discussion and array of issues focusing on critical factors in attaining sustainable development in the national development plan.

    It also enabled stakeholders’ highlight waste-to-wealth initiatives, review progress in the implementation of the EPR programme, strengthens policies and regulations to enable the recycling of food grade packaging waste materials by establishing a national standards for recycled PET and determine how Producer Responsibility Organisations (PRO) can support  in waste management for a healthy environment, recycling roles, among others.

    According to Olusuyi, a recent survey indicated that the volume of post-consumer PET waste is over 800,000 tonnes, thus requiring participation of all stakeholders at the various stages to drive a robust circular economy.

    “The various roles in waste management start from waste separation, collection, to separation, transportation, shredding at the recycling plants, production of other products and re-use. At these stages, different jobs are created, whether directly or indirectly,” Olusuyi explained.

    He, therefore, urged other companies in the food and beverage sector to be part of the Alliance, which has sworn to protect the environment and help make the world packaging problem a thing of the past.

  • NCG for key biodiversity areas inaugurated

    Nigeria’s National Coordination Group (NCG) for Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA), has been inaugurated at the National Parks headquarters, Abuja.

    The NCG consists of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) as its Secretariat, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), A. P. Leventis Ornithological Research Institute (APLORI), Federal Department of Forestry of the Ministry of Environment and the National Parks Service.

    With the inauguration, the country has now joined the core members of the KBA Partnership at global level, in what is seen as an ambitious new partnership for nature, especially now that KBA have been recognised by 12 of the world’s leading conservation organisations as the sites for biodiversity conservation across the globe. These sites include important habitats for plants and animal species in terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems.

    Other partners in the deal are Birdlife International, Global Environment Facility (GEF), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Royal Society for the Preservation of Birds (RSPB), Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), Nature Serve, Conservation International, Amphibian Survival Alliance, Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), Global Wildlife Conservation and Rainforest Trust.

    In a statement, the Director-General, NCF, Muhtari Aminu-Kano, said the NCG for KBAs are to primarily coordinate the process to identify, document and delineate KBAs at the national level. Other responsibilities include promoting the conservation, management and protection of KBAs in Nigeria.

    He said the global standard for the identification of KBA sets out globally standardised criteria for the identification of KBAs worldwide. The KBA Partnership and globally standardised criteria, will promote global conservation efforts by mapping internationally important sites and ensuring that scarce resources are directed to the most important places for nature. The impact of this vital conservation work will be improved by promoting targeted investment in conservation action at priority sites.

  • Driving efficiency with driver app

    As a young child, I was always fascinated with the inner workings of technology, and what one could possibly achieve through it. How was my battery powered train set operated by remote control? What was this “engine thing” that seemed to be located within my toy cars? And the people on the radio and television – how did they get in there? And what made it possible for us to see and hear them so clearly?

    As I grew older and began to connect the dots, I realised a couple of things – that technology was designed for processes to run more efficiently. I also realised that for human beings – incorporating technology into everyday usage increased productivity, and I saw how this had a positive impact on everyday life, businesses and communities.

    In my role as Greenlight Operations Manager for West Africa – I’m constantly criss-crossing the region; especially Lagos, Abuja, Accra and Kumasi – cities where the Uber Greenlight Hubs are located. The Greenlight Hub is a dedicated support centre that provides drivers with established channels of communication to raise individual questions and concerns that they may have relating to using the Uber App. At the Greenlight Hubs, driver-partners are offered information sessions, tailored workshops focusing on training and skills development such as safety tips, crime prevention and financial tips. Potential driver-partners are also assisted at the Greenlight Hubs through the onboarding process. In my recent interactions with them, one theme that has come as consistent feedback is their reaction to the newly launched Uber driver app. For many drivers using the app globally and in West Africa there’s a general consensus that the new features provide an improved experience on the road and allows them to use the app more efficiently whether on the road or off. Thus further highlighting my long-held belief and understanding that technology shapes not just processes, but ensures an improved level of efficiency.

    So one might ask – what are the exact features of this app that make it better? For one, the new driver app has been made to be less complex and complicated to allow drivers to focus more on driving. It also provides them with real-time updates on market conditions around them and opportunities for more trips nearby. They can also choose to navigate to such nearby with just a tap.

    Also included in the app (and perhaps of great importance to the drivers) is an earning tracker that allows drivers to know how much they earned in their previous trip, to allow them to track their progress toward their financial goals. At Uber, we remain committed to creating business and economic opportunities for driver-partners and we are always looking at ways in which we can make their experience more memorable and continue to stimulate their growth as small business owners.

    Earlier this year, Uber’s CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi penned a blog post announcing the launch of the new driver app. According to him: “the new driver app was redesigned because we wanted to simplify the driver experience and the underlying engineering architecture that supports it. We knew we couldn’t take the approach we’d taken in the past: redesign the app based on what we thought drivers wanted, launch it, then hope for the best. Instead, we needed to listen to what drivers told us they needed, and shape the new app alongside them.”

    Improving the overall experience of using our app for driver-partners remains one of our key priorities. And as such, that is why the technologically enabled Greenlight Hubs will keep improving customer service and driver support. The new driver app will benefit driver-partners in West Africa, primarily by making them more efficient, with improved efficiency means they will make more trips and ultimately more earnings. I remain excited at the possibilities and opportunities, that Uber, through technology makes available to its 9,000 active drivers in Nigeria and 6,000 active drivers in Ghana. With these new features in the app, we are ensuring that drivers and riders benefit from a seamless experience.

  • ACAN endorses CDK tiles, porcelain

    The Association of Consulting Architects of Nigeria (ACAN) has endorsed porcelain tiles and ceramic sanitary ware from the stable of CDK Integrated Industries Limited.

    At the endorsement, which came during ACAN pre-AGM dinner, hosted by CDK Industries, ACAN President, Mansur Ahmadu, an architect, commended the firm for its investment in the tile and sanitary wares industry.

    “As Architects, it is always good that we are furnished with relevant information that enables us make the best decision as project managers and the information that CDK is sharing about the world class quality of their “Made-in-Nigeria” porcelain tiles and sanitary wares is coming at the right time,” Ahmadu said, adding that ACAN will continue to propagate the message of CDK’s world class quality “Made in Nigeria” porcelain tiles and sanitary wares, which he noted, as a suitable replacement for imported tiles and sanitary wares.

    CDK Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer Bernard Longe said it  is the desire of CDK industries promoters that the firm differentiates itself from the competition by producing porcelain tiles and sanitary ware of export quality.

    Expressing satisfaction with the quality produced by the firm, he warned the public to be aware of substandard tiles in the market. “CDK is aware that a few unscrupulous local producers are producing ceramic white body tiles, but are mislabeling same on their packaging and passing them off as “Porcelain,” Longe said.

    The CEO, who revealed that porcelain tiles are more expensive to manufacture than ceramic tiles and are, therefore, priced much higher, listed some of the advantages of porcelain tiles over ceramic tiles to include: porcelain tiles being harder than ceramic and more suitable for external use and high traffic areas; more resistant to cracks or failure when not installed over solid concrete floor, e.g. wooden tongue and groove floor; porcelain’s low moisture absorption of not more than 0.5 per cent makes it more resistant to extremes of weather.

    Importantly, he noted that while all tiles can be used for walls, porcelain tiles are made for floors, but more suitable for bathroom and kitchen walls and externally for wall cladding because of its low moisture absorption attributes. This is aside the fact that it can be used for other walls depending on preference.

    “CDK tiles and sanitary wares manufacturing processes are fully automated, using state-of-the-art machinery, complemented by very highly experienced and committed production team…”

  • ‘Apapa gridlock, nuisance to environment,’ say Residents

    The Apapa Government Reserved Area Residents Association (AGRA) has risen in unison to protest that trucks and trailers constitute menace to their environment. Consequently, the Association has warned that the continuous queues of trucks and tankers, blocking the network of intersecting roads, bringing traffic in all directions to a standstill, will no longer be acceptable. It therefore, issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to rid all bridges and roads in the area of trucks to ease movement.

    The Association’s president, Sola Ayo-Vaughan, a retired army Brigadier-General, has heaped the blame on the government, accusing it of inability to implement its own laws.

    He regretted that the problem, which originally started within Apapa, had snowballed into a Lagos traffic, making movement in the area and its environs a nightmare.

    The retired army general lamented that the bridges, which were built to facilitate movement of vehicles, have been converted into a permanent parking lot for trailers and tankers, thereby restricting vehicular movement. “Turning bridges into a parking lot is unacceptable anywhere in the world because of the inherent danger that may consequently cause calamity.

    “The government has been warned of the looming danger, which is inevitable if this practice continues. It is a matter of time. It is worthy to note that government officials and the Chief Executive Officers of the companies, government parastatals operating in Apapa and Tin-Can Island ports do not reside in Apapa,” he said.

    According to him, the government agencies and shipping companies operating in the area are aware of the situation, but do not care because of the financial benefits they derive from it.

    He alleged that shipping companies were feeding fat on unearned container deposit and demurrage, while terminal operators were having a field day collecting crazy storage charges from importers by restricting trucks in ports under the guise of no network.

    He added that truckers are also benefitting from the chaos by hiking their rates from N70, 000 within Lagos to N600, 000.

    “Residents and workers in Apapa are in this mess alone and if we don’t stand up for ourselves, nothing will happen. Anything short of physical mobilisation at this point will be meaningless.

  • Stakeholders, govt laud partnership as firm delivers house in 14 days

    Hope for timely delivery of houses in the country received a boost last Tuesday, as a property development firm, EchoStone Nigeria Limited, delivered the first house from its stable in 14 days.

    The firm, which introduced a revolutionary measure that facilitates speedy delivery of houses in the country, used the occasion to prove that its building technology is indeed, the needed solution in tackling housing deficit being experienced in the country.

    At a ribbon cutting ceremony at the premises of the Lagos State Vocational Education Centre compound in Agidingbi, Ikeja, where a building is located, the  Commissioner for Housing, Gbolahan Lawal, praised the firm describing, it as “Echostone represent technology at its best”. He said the building, which was built in 14 days, is a proof that when technology is deployed, development is faster.

    “It is satisfying to know that a 64-square-meter house can be completed from the scratch in just 14 days. Echostone is fired up to do more because of the response they have received from government. They have the funding and technological know-how to help us greatly in tackling the deficit in the state,” Lawal said.

    The Commissioner, who appealed for trust for the firm from the public, assured Echostone that the capital investment it has brought into the state would yield good return-on-investment for them. He disclosed that Lagos State was already discussing with the developer to work out the modality of deploying the same technology in assisting the state in constructing compact storey buildings, as this is the way to go to accommodate Lagosians.

    “We want to build compact storey buildings. We are in discussion with echostone and they have assured us that it is doable,” Lawal said.

    To the Chief Executive Officer and co Founder, Echostone, Anthony Rechhia, the delivery of the building in 14 days and handing over of the keys to LAwal, is a feat that many thought would be impossible. “So, we have made the impossible possible in just 14 days,” he said.

    EchoStone Co-Founder and President, Business Development, Mr. Ander Lindquist, remarked that it was a promise kept for the firm, adding that the firm looked forward to building more houses both in the state and the country.

    In similar vein, Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company (NMRC) Managing Director, Mr. Kehinde Ogundimu, said the company was set to remove the barrier to home ownership and provide liquidity for achieving the goal. Besides, he said the NMRC was determined to make affordable accommodation a reality, especially in Lagos State, where the demand acutely falls below supply.

    ‘Beyond engaging EchoStone, efforts by the state, the Ibile Holdings, Lagos Homes Developers, through Public Private Participation (PPP), the involvement of the NMRC to ensure that mortgage will be made available for those who needed it to buy houses will be fully supported,” Ogundimu said, adding that EchoStone technology is a much needed solution to the housing deficit in Lagos State in particular, and Nigeria as a whole. These problems, he noted, will never be solved if we continue to build in the traditional way of one block at a time.

    Families Home Fund Managing Director, Mr. Femi Adewole, declared that the body will engage Messrs EchoStone Nigeria, in the provision of 100,000 housing units in four years for Lagos residents, with the memorandum already in the pipeline.

    “We have a product known as Home Loans Assistance, put in place by the Federal Government’s social intervention to assist Nigerians in getting decent, but affordable accommodation.

    “Besides the provision of housing, the scheme will create huge employment opportunities for Nigerian youths. This, we will do in conjunction with the Lagos State government, which has shown an enormous goodwill that attracts the attention of foreign firms such as EchoStone America,” he stated.

    Speaking on the completed prototype, official of EchoStone Nigeria, Mr. Sammy Adigun, assured that his firm will meet the housing needs of Lagos residents, with the support of all the relevant stakeholders, without compromising quality

    While congratulating the firm for identifying the need for improvement in the building sector and for taking the bold step, Operations Officer, Green Building Lead, Accra, Ghana, of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Mr. Dennis Quansah, said Nigeria’s future depends on how it is built today.

    He said the building, which is exactly what Echostone will build in the Peridot Parkland Estate, Idale, Badagry, is built green per the standards of IFC’s Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies (EDGE) certification.

    “The Peridot Parkland Estate has been designed to achieve the following impressive EDGE ratings; 29 per cent energy savings; 35 percent water savings; 43 per cent less embodied energy in materials. The savings will ensure that the utility bills for these housing units will be minimised and contribute to a reduction in harmful greenhouse gas emissions,” Quansah said.

    He revealed that green buildings are not only a challenge that all must overcome together, because IFC believes there are available solutions it can provide to policy makers. Together, he said, IFC and policy makers can create an investment opportunity for developers, financial institutions, and home buyers or commercial buyers or renters.

    Echostone, it will be recalled, announced a fortnight ago that it was deploying an innovative technology which allows for rapid and scalable construction in the construction of a 250 units of two-bedroom detached bungalows in Idale, Badagry. The estate will be fitted with state-of-the-art facilities and comes at N9 million per unit. In all, it plans a construction of 2,000 housing units in three Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state- Ayobo in Alimosho and Imota in Ikorodu.

  • ACAN endorses CDK tiles, porcelain

    The Association of Consulting Architects of Nigeria (ACAN), has endorsed porcelain tiles and ceramic sanitary ware from the stable of CDK Integrated Industries Limited.

    At the endorsement, which came during ACAN pre-AGM dinner, hosted by CDK Industries, ACAN President, Mansur Ahmadu, an architect, commended the firm for its investment in the tile and sanitary wares industry.

    “As Architects, it is always good that we are furnished with relevant information that enables us make the best decision as project managers and the information that CDK is sharing about the world class quality of their “Made-in-Nigeria” porcelain tiles and sanitary wares is coming at the right time,” Ahmadu said, adding that ACAN will continue to propagate the message of CDK’s world class quality “Made in Nigeria” porcelain tiles and sanitary wares, which he noted, as a suitable replacement for imported tiles and sanitary wares.

    Speaking, CDK Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Bernard Longe, said it has always been the desire of CDK industries promoters that the firm differentiates itself from the competition by producing porcelain tiles and sanitary ware of export quality.

    Expressing satisfaction with the quality produced by the firm, he warned the public to be aware of substandard tiles in the market. “CDK is aware that a few unscrupulous local producers are producing ceramic white body tiles, but are mislabeling same on their packaging and passing them off as “Porcelain,” Longe said.

    The CEO, who revealed that porcelain tiles are more expensive to manufacture than ceramic tiles and are, therefore, priced much higher, listed some of the advantages of porcelain tiles over ceramic tiles to include: porcelain tiles being harder than ceramic and more suitable for external use and high traffic areas; more resistant to cracks or failure when not installed over solid concrete floor, e.g. wooden tongue and groove floor; porcelain’s low moisture absorption of not more than 0.5 per cent makes it more resistant to extremes of weather.

    Importantly, he noted that while all tiles can be used for walls, porcelain tiles are made for floors, but more suitable for bathroom and kitchen walls and externally for wall cladding because of its low moisture absorption attributes. This is aside the fact that it can be used for other walls depending on preference.

    “CDK tiles and sanitary wares manufacturing processes are fully automated, using state-of-the-art machinery, complemented by very highly experienced and committed production team. We have fully digital printers, which means that in addition to our regular models and designs, we can produce any customised designs of customer’s choice as well as modifying tile attributes to address specific needs and usages such as specially enhanced surfaces for very high traffic areas such as malls, banking halls, hotels, factory floors etc., and where the intended usage so requires, enhanced slip resistance, extra thickness etc,” Longe explained.

  • In Badagry new investment haven beckons

    For discerning real estate developers and investment focused persons, the sleepy town of Badagry, one of the five divisions of Lagos State, is an investment goldmine waiting to be tapped. This is not merely because of its rich history, but the unparalled infrastructural development ongoing along the corridor, which has made it an investor’s delight, especially for operators in the real estate sector.

    This was the submission of Pertinence Properties Limited Executive Director,  Mr. Wisdom Ezekiel, at the weekend. Ezekiel, who spoke to The Nation Property, during the firm’s Zero to Hero seminar series, disclosed that given the avalanche of developments going on in the Badagry corridor, a good investor will know that it is the “future of Lagos”.

    According to Ezekiel, such investment opportunities explained why the firm has put in place the Zero to Hero programme, which is to sensitise people on climbing the success ladder, starting from the scratch and to position them to identify opportunities in life.

    “If you are following what Lagos State government is doing, you will see that investments are going towards hitherto undeveloped places. Badagry is a tourist attraction, so developing this axis is to attract tourists, and you know tourism attracts huge businesses,” he said, adding that so many people have not been able to discern this as an opportunity for investment. Things like this, Ezekiel revealed, are reasons for the Zero to Hero programme.

    His real estate development and investment firm, Pertinence Limited, he revealed, has keyed into the state’s vision for Badagry. The firm, he disclosed, has acquired and is developing a 300-arce estate, which it calls: “The New Badagry Homes”. The estate, already fenced, is being fitted with basic infrastructure such as road, drainage and walk ways. Other features planned for the estate include shopping mall, power supply, roads, schools, green areas, water, etc.

    Another Executive Director of the firm, Sunday Olorunsheyi, said the firm’s investment in the axis is not a coincidence, but a deliberate investment strategy that will yield good returns for investors that are brave to be a part of its investment plans.

    Under its investment plans, he explained that the new Badagry Homes presents opportunity for an individual to invest his cash and after two years, get back his principal investment, plus a 25 per cent interest and retain a plot of land.

    According to Olorunshey, there are four categories of investment opportunities: the platinum, requiring N10 million; gold category, N5 million; silver category, N2.5 million to N4.9 million and bronze category, N100, 000 to N2.4 million. These categories, he further explained, will yield more than double the value in the two years.

    The duo explained that these investments benefits are being driven by the government’s initiative such as the construction of new roads, light rail project, deep blue sea, free trade zone, and so on. “This projects will attract a whole lot of return, which we have seen and that is why we are quickly keying into it so that we can position ourself quickly to take advantage of what is happening before anybody comes. In the next three years if the current tempo of infrastructural development is sustained, Badagry will be a very lovely environment to own properties,” Olorunsheyi said.

    He further said the Zero to Hero initiative is a deliberate effort by the company to raise people to success.