The Nation Newspaper

Tag: campaign

  • Foundation launches sickle cell awareness campaign

    The Jennifer Okorie Foundation has begun a nationwide outreach on genotype education to sensitise pupils on the essence of knowing their genotype and the consequences of ignorance.

    The campaign began in Ebonyi State, where the foundation in collaboration with the Ministry of Education gathered over 300 pupils from more than 31 secondary schools for the programme, which had as theme “Genotype Before Yes”.

    The event organised to mark this year’s World Sickle Cell Day held at the Ebonyi State Women Development Centre.

    Resource persons counselled the pupils to know their genotype before accepting any relationship proposal.

    Prominent on the list of resource persons were Aisha Edward, the National Coordinator of Association of Persons Living with Sickle Cell Disorder, who said knowing their genotype before marriage, would reduce the number of children born with sickle cell.

    In her remark, Jennifer Nkiruka Okorie, CEO and founder of the Foundation, said it was her desire to see that every African child achieves her goals and dreams in life.

    Governor David Umahi, represented by the Commissioner of Education, Prof John Eke, thanked the foundation for choosing to kick off the campaign in the state.

    Ekeh noted that the governor would be glad to partner the foundation to ensure that the message cuts across the society.

    Track Media Enterprise, the  management company for the project, would run the campaign until June, with possibility of an next extension depending on the level of success attained.

    Highlights of the event was the presentation of Jennifer Okorie Humanitarian Service Award to Aisha Edward, Sen. Sam Egwu, Mrs. Rachel Umahi, wife of the Ebonyi State Governor and others that have contributed immensely in the fight against sickle cell anaemia in the country.

     

  • Firm initiates campaign, rewards Nigerians

    Lipton, is a brand of tea, owned by Unilever is carrying out a campaign tagged ThinkLessDoMore meant to reward hard working people within the society.

    The company had announced, for the second consecutive year, its plan to celebrate with Nigerians  through its #Don’tJustThinkDo campaign. This campaign which was aimed at promoting the values that Ramadan stands for was to get Nigerians to imbibe the habit of doing good.

    According to the company, the campaign promotes the essence of doing good. “Lipton didn’t just stop at telling people to do good, it actually went to several cities in the country including; Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Kaduna to search for people who are doing good in their communities so as to reward them with gifts,” it said.

    Some of the beneficiaries in the campaign are Hassan Black, who helps keep a popular market in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, clean; Florence Okeme, a dedicated traffic warden in Yaba, Lagos; and Bimbo Akinsanya, the founder of a non-governmental organization (NGO) which is committed to ensuring that young less-privileged ladies in public secondary school and local communities have access to hygiene materials, educational talks and mentorship opportunities, among others.

    “If more Nigerians, as a result of this campaign, start doing more good, there is no doubt that the country will be better, peaceful, safer and more prosperous. The positive effect it will have on various sectors of the economy will be massive,” the company said.

    Brand Manager, Lipton, Adetayo Adesokan  said: “Don’t Just Think Do isn’t just another campaign, but a well thought out approach to promote the virtues of doing good acts in the country, it was launched in order to drastically improve the number of good deeds that are done by Nigerians daily.”

    “We are trying to paint the picture that shows how Nigerians should strive to relate with one another, we are sharing with Nigerians of all backgrounds and from any of the six political zones, what they can do to improve their societies,” he concluded.

    Giving, showing love, and caring for one another, sowing seeds of kindness, are all necessary activities that we all need to do in order to achieve our goal of creating the society we dream of.

    Lipton has paved the way and set the pace for Nigerians to emulate through its #Don’tJustThinkDo campaign. We all have a duty to make a commitment to ramp up the good deeds we do on a daily basis in order to make the society a better place.

    “The brand’s goal was to get more Nigerians to start taking positive actions. Lipton wanted to show more Nigerians the positive ripple effects that doing good will have on themselves, and the nation in extension. To achieve this, it embarked on a series of activities to win more people into its army of “do good-ers” including engaging with Nigerians on conversations surrounding the topic across various media platforms, and embarking on a nationwide tour to reward and celebrate Nigerians who are doing selfless acts in their respective communities,” the firm said.

    Continuing, the firm said: “Nigeria is full of pleasant people, resilient individuals who are filled with enthusiasm and passion regardless of whatever they might be going through, regardless of the impediments, obstacles or challenges they might be facing. This spirit of Nigerians can be seen across the nation and beyond. Most people in Nigeria, irrespective of their region, tribe or religion are warm and kind individuals, however, most times, in their quest to earn a living and better their lives, they forget to look out for the next person as actively as they normally would”.

    “Lipton is leveraging on the ideals that Ramadan stands for this season to get more Nigerians to tap into the beauty of giving, of sharing love and care to their neighbours. Ramadan has always been a period of introspection, a period of discipline, a time to show love, a time to share, to sow the seeds of kindness, and through the ‘Don’t Just Think Do’ campaign, Lipton aims to get more people to move from just thinking, to actually taking doing these good deeds”.

  • Foundation takes drug abuse campaign to schools

    Foundation takes drug abuse campaign to schools

    Perhaps, many in her situation would have given up hope and easily indulged in social vices such as drug abuse and stealing in order to eke out a living. she would have been excused if she had chosen to do everything detrimental to her future if she had done otherwise. But she resisted the temptation of bringing shame to herself and her family.

    Today, she is not only celebrated, she also established a life-saving foundation. She evolved the Social Awareness Campaign against Drug Abuse (ASACADA).

    Founder and President Adorable Foundation International (AFI) and Adorable Social Club of Nigeria, Princess Ada Okeke-Amam said the dream was borne out of love and charity. She maintained it was a dream to restore hope to the lost at heart and those who were abandoned to the vicissitudes of life.

    Amam-Okeke said she was left to the mercy of strangers as she walked the straight and narrow paths of the world. According to her, she came to understand the sorrows and pain that life could throw at a person in like situation and the consequent psychological effects.

    “My upbringing was not too good as a youth and I saw a lot of things when growing up, and there might be some youths who might not be able to handle it the way I did. At the end, they might end up in drug abuse and other social vices. Having lost my mother, the major key player in the family, it was taxing,” she said.

    Continuing, she said: “Nothing stopped me from being forced to do one or two abnormal things in the midst of harrowing hardship I found myself in, but I didn’t. I felt going into those things could lead one into a terrible trouble.

    “In the circumstances, I decided to evolve a means of telling the youth my own experiences and how I surmounted them so that they, in turn, will also surmount any unsavoury situation they may find themselves in.

    I decided to evolve this programme, the wake-up call came and I saw it was a good thing. It is a very good thing to fight drug abuse. So, I decided to go into it, and got into it very well.” She added that the healing power of love brought about the birth of Adorable Foundation International and Adorable Social Club.

    The event whose theme was “if you abuse drug, drug will abuse you” was a ‘Talk Show’ designed to give students the opportunity to talk about the harmful effects of drug abuse in the society.

    “It is a talk through which we seek to discover the school that can give us the best, it is how we are going to tackle the menace of hard drugs among the youth”, Amam-Okeke added.

    Out of the 16 secondary schools that registered, about 13 were in attendance; giving a total of about 250 students that would do the talk about drug abuse. Their performances were judged by a panel. Trophies would be awarded to the best schools. In addition, every participating school had a prize to go home with.

    “The adorable foundation was on the streets of Lagos and Abuja during the 2016 campaign but this time around, it decided to bring schools together to have a talk show on how to eradicate drug menace in our society”, she stated.

    Amam-Okeke added that Adorable Foundation has built a strong hold in Lagos, Abuja and Benue, even as she revealed plans to expand the programme to the Southeast. Meanwhile, the Anambra chapter was inaugurated last year.

    There are more to be achieved on the drug issue, though there are challenges. “We have to move on in life. After this, we will be going to schools to ensure we cover more schools in Lagos, East and the FCT”, she said. The event was also to commemorate United Nations International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

    The United Nations’ (UN) International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking falls on June 26 each year to raise awareness of the major problem that illicit drugs present to society. The day is supported by individuals, communities and various organisations all over the world including Nigeria.

    The Project Officer, United Nations Office on Drug and Crime, Harshet Virk who represented the United Nations Organisation (UNO) commended the efforts put in place by the foundation to get the young people to talk about drug issues. She assured the United Nations would continue to lend its support

    “There is a lot of work going on, the government is doing a lot, AFI is also doing a lot, and they should try and engage with the scientific knowledge, and broaden their knowledge. “It is good to see young people involved in this issue, discussing and debating it and getting the right responses. What we really need to do is to talk more about it, the government should try and evolve more programmes”, she stated.

    On whether Nigeria is getting the fight against drug abuse right, Virk said it is hard to say which country is getting it right. She, however, observed there were concerted efforts on the part of the government to really fight the menace.

    Also, the Ministry of Health has done a lot of capacity building. The will is there, the government is making the right efforts to do it but it is a big country, a complicated country. So, these efforts have to continue. Hopefully, we will certainly get it right soon she said.

    The Deputy Superintendent of Narcotics, Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Chizoba Etuka who spoke on behalf of the Commander of Narcotics NDLEA, Lagos State, Adeyemi Kayode said the fight against drug abuse is a fight not for NDLEA alone, adding that it is meant for everybody including the youth, religious leaders, the government, traditional rulers, and everybody in the society.

    According to him, all hands must be on deck to fight drug abuse. He noted that drug abuse had caused a lot of harm to some members of the society but one of the strategies NDLEA has adopted is to go to schools to create awareness on the issue. We have programmes where we go to various schools in Lagos State and even outside the state, enlighten the people, create more awareness on the consequences of drug abuse to the society.

    The method I have discovered today is that we let the students proffer solutions to the problem, rather than imposing it on them.

    “For the youth to tell us about the dangers of drug abuse and what to do to eradicate it is a good move. It is a very good example we have to copy. When the youth say let’s do it this way, it means there is a lot of hope for the society. We have to adopt this method. Once in a while we are going to organise this kind of forum where we will have the students to come and talk and proffer solutions to the problem of drug abuse,” the NDLEA chief said.

    While commending the founder of Adorable Foundation International, Tosin Owolabi, an SS2 student of the Dynamic Landmark College, who was one the participants in the Talk Show, said the foundation had given the students the opportunity to express their views on the matter and also made it possible for the public to be enlightened on what drug abuse is all about.

    “I have learnt a lot about the dangers of drug abuse. I learnt that we should never allow drugs to be our master; it should always be our servant; it should only take care of us, and we should not abuse it,” he said.

    Drug abuse is not only about the hard drugs alone, the licit ones such as alcohol, equally cause severe harm to those who indulge in it excessively. I believe people will desist from it because nobody wants to die early; everybody wants to live long.

    Owolabi said he tried to reach out to the public more so that they would understand what they are into or what it is all about. Those missing things that people usually overlook are very important.

  • Sterling Bank lifts ‘Keep Kings College Clean’ campaign

    Sterling Bank Plc has donated 35 branded overalls to the management of Kings’ College  to identify its ‘Keep Kings College Clean’ campaign.

    The items were presented to the Principal Mr Anthony Oluseyi Thomas at the school premises.

    The campaign aligns with the bank’s environmental makeover programme, which promotes the quality of the environment, the bank’s Chief Marketing Officer Henry Bassey said on the partnership between the two parties.

    Receiving the items, Thomas noted that both parties shared same cleanliness ideals.

    He said: “We are delighted to partner with Sterling Bank on ‘Keep Kings College Clean’ campaign, which seeks to improve sanitation and hygiene in Nigeria’s Federal Government college. We welcome the support from the bank, which would ensure that our cleaners are well-kitted and could do their job  with pride.”

    Oluseyi urged corporate bodies to toe Sterling Bank’s line via private sector participation.

    “Private sector support is required to complement government’s effort at ensuring continued access to quality education across the country. This is important because quality education provides opportunities for children to improve their life chances and therefore should not be left for government alone.”

    “We want the best for every Nigerian child and have prioritised their well-being by championing the cause of a clean and safe environment, Bassey said in response to Oluseyi.

    “This explains our commitment to the campaign which promotes sustainable living actions and a clean school premises for pupils and staff,” he added.

    Sterling Bank has committed over N500 million to the Sterling Environmental Makeover (STEM) programme in the last five years. The programme is its corporate social responsibility initiative which promotes practices that contribute to the quality of environment on a long-term basis. It covers partnership and provision of uniforms to street cleaners in 14 states, tree planting in Bauchi, Gombe and Plateau states to address the challenge of desertification and a national cleaning by employees of the bank.

  • Standard Chartered launches ‘power your ambitions’ campaign

    Standard Chartered Bank has announced the launch of ‘power your ambitions campaign’ to reiterate its commitment to the Africa and Middle East (AME) region.

    Standard Chartered’s domination of awards is backed by the wide-range of world-class products and services for personal and business customers across the region. These include financing major energy, telecoms, mining and infrastructure projects to growing businesses as well as building communities.

    The exercise, also called ‘No.1 Bank’ campaign, shows the bank’s top position across its diverse markets which include project finance, debt capital markets, wealth management, digital, private banking and Islamic banking.

    The bank recently won Global Finance – Best Regional Consumer Digital Bank for Middle East & Africa 2016 for the fifth consecutive year. It equally announced fingerprint and voice biometric technologies for clients to securely access their bank account balances, cards and investments, using their unique fingerprint or voice as identifiers.

    Reaching more than two million clients, this is regarded as the most extensive roll-out of fingerprint biometric technology by any international bank and a first in most markets.

    On the back of its “Here for Africa” campaign launched last year, the new campaign will showcase the bank’s heightened focus on the wider African and Middle East (AME) region, seeking to contribute to the region’s growth by growing its Retail, Corporate, Institutional and Commercial segments, whilst enhancing its digital capabilities.

    The Regional CEO of Africa & Middle East, Sunil Kaushal, said last year saw a turnaround performance for the bank’s AME business despite the diverse set of challenges faced across the region.

    “Our in-depth local knowledge and extensive global expertise has enabled us to effectively demonstrate our position of strength in delivering our client needs,” he said.

    Backed by market recognition for our recent achievements, the number one campaign reiterates the bank’s commitment in staying number one in AME to its staff, clients and the local communities where it operate.

    “To maintain our leadership position in the AME, through this campaign, we hope to demonstrate our drive and commitment in providing award winning banking solutions, strategic advisory services and funding for our corporate clients through our unique global footprint,” he said.

  • Standard Chartered launches ‘power your ambitions’ campaign

    Standard Chartered Bank has announced the launch of ‘power your ambitions campaign’ to reiterate its commitment to the Africa and Middle East (AME) region.

    Standard Chartered’s domination of awards is backed by the wide-range of world-class products and services for personal and business customers across the region. These include financing major energy, telecoms, mining and infrastructure projects to growing businesses as well as building communities.

    The exercise, also called ‘No.1 Bank’ campaign, shows the bank’s top position across its diverse markets which include project finance, debt capital markets, wealth management, digital, private banking and Islamic banking.

    The bank recently won Global Finance – Best Regional Consumer Digital Bank for Middle East & Africa 2016 for the fifth consecutive year. It equally announced fingerprint and voice biometric technologies for clients to securely access their bank account balances, cards and investments, using their unique fingerprint or voice as identifiers.

    Reaching more than two million clients, this is regarded as the most extensive roll-out of fingerprint biometric technology by any international bank and a first in most markets.

    On the back of its “Here for Africa” campaign launched last year, the new campaign will showcase the bank’s heightened focus on the wider African and Middle East (AME) region, seeking to contribute to the region’s growth by growing its Retail, Corporate, Institutional and Commercial segments, whilst enhancing its digital capabilities.

    The Regional CEO of Africa & Middle East, Sunil Kaushal, said last year saw a turnaround performance for the bank’s AME business despite the diverse set of challenges faced across the region.

    “Our in-depth local knowledge and extensive global expertise has enabled us to effectively demonstrate our position of strength in delivering our client needs,” he said.

    Backed by market recognition for our recent achievements, the number one campaign reiterates the bank’s commitment in staying number one in AME to its staff, clients and the local communities where it operate.

    “To maintain our leadership position in the AME, through this campaign, we hope to demonstrate our drive and commitment in providing award winning banking solutions, strategic advisory services and funding for our corporate clients through our unique global footprint,” he said.

  • Consumers laud Chivita 100% breakfast campaign

    Consumers laud Chivita 100% breakfast campaign

    Consumers have praised the  #breakfastwith Chivita100% campaign  on television, radio, and digital media.

    The campaign, which seeks to raise consumer consciousness on the benefits of healthy breakfast with Chivita 100 percent, is generating positive reviews of health-conscious consumers.

    For experts, the campaign is an innovative strategy to not only promote the culture of a complete healthy breakfast in Nigeria but to also own the breakfast narrative by highlighting the unique value of its flagship brand, Chivita 100% in the breakfast mix.

    The use of internationally renowned soccer stars, such as Wayne Rooney, Marcus Rashford, Eric Bailly and Juan Mata in the television advert to project the brand’s breakfast narrative is connecting with the consumer base and its effectiveness is largely seen in the growing number of consumers who have made Chivita 100% their preferred breakfast beverage at homes, offices and restaurants.

    According to Martins Nnadi, an IT professional, “The #breakfastwithChivita100% publicity campaign has been massive and is gradually shaping consumer opinion of a complete healthy breakfast.

    ‘’We all know that maintaining a healthy complete breakfast has a vital influence on our wellbeing, but Chivita 100% reiterates this in an engaging manner in its current campaign. For busy executives like myself, having a glass of Chivita 100% with breakfast is fast becoming a lifestyle choice because it offers the benefit of having a complete breakfast dietary requirements in spite of our schedules”

    Speaking on the success of the Chivita 100% breakfast Campaign, Chi Limited’s Head of Marketing Mr. Probal Bhattacharya, said “Our objective is to highlight the importance of a complete healthy breakfast and encourage consumers to achieve this daily by including a glass of Chivita 100% as part of their breakfast. Based on numerous positive feedback being received from consumers across the country,it is our belief that, with time, whenever breakfast is mentioned, Chivita 100% will readily come to mind as the preferred beverage”

  • Not Too Young To Run campaign hits Ilorin

    The ongoing campaign against the exclusion of youths in leadership has hit Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

    Dozens of students last Tuesday held a rally for the “Not Too Young To Run” legislation being proposed to be sent to the National Assembly.

    The rally was organised by Brain Builders International, a Non-governmental Organisation (NGO).

    The group led youths and members of civil society organisations across the state capital on a road walk, which ended at the state House of Assembly complex.

    The aim of the rally was to lobby the legislators to support the proposed legislation, which the organisers said, would improve youth political participation and leadership aspiration.

    The rally started at New Yidi Roundabout, with the participants sensitising the public on the importance of the bill.

    The campaigners marched to the Assembly complex in a carnival-like procession, drawing attention to the bill.

    At the state Assembly, they were received by the House Leader, Hon. Hassan Oyeleke, accompanied by some members.

    Brain Builders International National Coordinator, Olasupo Abideen, told the lawmakers that the rally was to solicit the Assembly’s support in ensuring the passage of the “Not Too Young To Run” Bill.

    He explained that the bill was introduced, following peaceful agitations by the youth groups across the country to increase political participation. He noted that similar rallies were held across states to draw support for the bill.

    Olasupo said: “It is a known fact that young people have made significant contributions to the growth and development of the country through their energies and creativity. As such, we should be given more opportunities to participate in decision-making and contribute our quota to governance of our country.”

    Oyeleke, who stood in for the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Ali Ahmad, said the Assembly had been supporting the youth in their quest for leadership roles, assuring the campaigners that the House would back the proposed bill as soon as it was presented.

    A member of the Assembly, Hon. Moshood Bakare, pledged support for the cause, promising to lobby his colleagues to do same.

    He said: “I am someone who believes in the capacity and brilliance of youths, because I had held leadership positions as a youth and I performed creditably well. If youths are doing well outside this nation, why should we restrict those brilliant minds from taking part in decision-making process?”

     

  • Group celebrates Nigeria with campaign

    Proudly Nigerian a few days ago in Lagos kicked off a massive campaign focused on Nigeria and Nigerians with a media briefing.

    According to the promoter of the organization, Olorogun Elkanah Mowarin, the campaign will “complement the efforts of all Nigerian stakeholders who have excelled or are making positive contributions in and outside Nigeria towards the re-positioning of brand Nigeria as the ‘most preferred destination’ for individual and corporate relationships.”

    He went further to explain that “Proudly Nigerian campaign is a private sector initiative which is aimed at eliciting pride in resourceful Nigerians and patronage of Nigerian products and services”.

    The campaign is the brainchild of Proudly Nigerian, a non-profit organization whose mission is to project Nigeria and Nigerians as a brand and generate positive information and image about Nigeria.

    Olorogun Mowarin stated that the Proudly Nigerian campaign, which has excellence, professionalism, patriotism, integrity and value-addition as its core values, would identify, recognise, locate, support and celebrate businesses owned or dominated by Nigerians in the country and in the Diaspora.

    He also said it would create and sustain awareness for indigenous and semi-indigenous businesses as well as elicit empathy for their patronage, as it would in turn stimulate qualitative competition among these businesses.

    Other objectives, according to Olorogun Mowarin, include, organising conferences, seminars, trade fairs and exhibitions.

    He added that Proudly Nigerian would in the process nudge the government at all levels to provide and maintain the required infrastructure and environment conducive for business for the respective players, conferring awards on deserving Nigerian individuals and organizations based on their exceptional feats.

    As part of the Proudly Nigerian campaign, the organization announced its intention to celebrate Alhaji Aliko Dangote and the brand Dangote Group this year in which the visioner of the group clocks 60 years of age.

  • Not Too Young To Run campaign hits Ilorin

    Not Too Young To Run campaign hits Ilorin

    The ongoing campaign against the exclusion of youths in leadership has hit Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

    Dozens of students last Tuesday held a rally for the “Not Too Young To Run” legislation being proposed to be sent to the National Assembly.

    The rally was organised by Brain Builders International, a Non-governmental Organisation (NGO).

    The group led youths and members of civil society organisations across the state capital on a road walk, which ended at the state House of Assembly complex.

    The aim of the rally was to lobby the legislators to support the proposed legislation, which the organisers said, would improve youth political participation and leadership aspiration.

    The rally started at New Yidi Roundabout, with the participants sensitising the public on the importance of the bill.

    The campaigners marched to the Assembly complex in a carnival-like procession, drawing attention to the bill.

    At the state Assembly, they were received by the House Leader, Hon. Hassan Oyeleke, accompanied by some members.

    Brain Builders International National Coordinator, Olasupo Abideen, told the lawmakers that the rally was to solicit the Assembly’s support in ensuring the passage of the “Not Too Young To Run” Bill.

    He explained that the bill was introduced, following peaceful agitations by the youth groups across the country to increase political participation. He noted that similar rallies were held across states to draw support for the bill.

    Olasupo said: “It is a known fact that young people have made significant contributions to the growth and development of the country through their energies and creativity. As such, we should be given more opportunities to participate in decision-making and contribute our quota to governance of our country.”

    Oyeleke, who stood in for the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Ali Ahmad, said the Assembly had been supporting the youth in their quest for leadership roles, assuring the campaigners that the House would back the proposed bill as soon as it was presented.

    A member of the Assembly, Hon. Moshood Bakare, pledged support for the cause, promising to lobby his colleagues to do same.

    He said: “I am someone who believes in the capacity and brilliance of youths, because I had held leadership positions as a youth and I performed creditably well. If youths are doing well outside this nation, why should we restrict those brilliant minds from taking part in decision-making process?”