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Tag: Coca-Cola

  • Coca-Cola, USAID provide $1m funding for water, sanitation in Abia, Cross River

    The Coca-Cola Foundation and United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in partnership under the Water And Development Alliance (WADA), has provided $1 million for funding of projects aimed at the provision of clean drinking water, sanitation, and other health facilities in Abia and Cross River States in the past two years.

    USAID Mission Director, Stephen M. Haykin, who was represented by Dr. Joachim Ezeji, who disclosed this, said this was targeted at 56,000 people in 58 communities in the two states.

    Speaking when the Coca-Cola Foundation, working in conjunction with USAID, donated a solar-powered borehole, and sanitation facilities to Government Primary School, Ndon Nwong, Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State, Haykin said the projects were targeted at ensuring that there was access to clean water, and sanitation to targeted schools, markets and medical clinics in both states.

    “We are not finished yet. With Coca-Cola, we are improving access to clean water with more projects like you see here today. We are improving access to clean water in 12 schools, 4 medical centres and 2 market areas as well as improving sanitation in 23 schools, 8 medical clinics and one market area in each of 4 LGAs in the two states, to benefit of 56,000 people”, Haykins said.

    He said in the last two years, the partnership between Coca-Cola Foundation, USAID, WADA, the government of both states, and the benefiting local government areas have been very successful.

    “Through this partnership, we have already improved and expanded access to safe and reliable water, and sanitation services for nearly 48, 800 people and sanitation for nearly 11,000 people in 58 rural communities,” Haykin said.

    Read Also: Coca-Cola gets SERAS award

    The projects, among them toilet and health facilities, commissioned pursuant to the Rural Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Support Project, is funded through Water and Development Alliance (WADA) mechanism, a global partnership between (USAID) and the Coca-Cola Foundation, (TCCF) Global Environment, Technology Foundation (GETF),and Partners for Development (PTF) as implementing partners in Nigeria.

    The Managing Director, Coca-Cola Nigeria, Mr. Bhupendra Suri, said besides the fact that the company was giving back to the society as part of its corporate social responsibility, the donation of the bore-hole would in many ways enhance the living standard and condition of the inhabitants of Ndon Nwong.

    Suri who was represented by, Mrs. Nwamaka Onyemelukwe, said the project was implemented in collaboration with WADA

    The Managing Director said the borehole would provide clean drinking water to members of the community, prevent the people from contracting water-borne diseases as well as reduce the effect of poor hygiene in the community.

    Suri urged the people of the community to take ownership of the project so it would serve the purpose for which it was provided.

    Suri said that at the moment, Coca-Cola is working vigorously to address challenges posed by shortage of clean water for human consumption in the African continent, hence the partnership with the USAID, and other development partners, towards providing similar projects within communities in Africa.

    The State Commissioner for Water Resources, Gabe Odu-Oji, commended Coca-Cola for demonstrating its corporate social responsibility, and also thanked USAID for providing the facilities not only in Odukpani, but also in Obubra Local Government Area.

    Responding on behalf of the benefitting community, Mr. Nsa Ekeng Okon said potable water had remained a very serious problem in the community.

    “The result had been an outbreak of water borne disease mostly during the dry season. The general experience was high rate of infant mortality and short life span but with the provision of borehole water in the community and introduction of ventilated inverted pit toilet, those diseases have become things of the past,” he said.

  • Coca-Cola gets SERAS award

    Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited has emerged best company in the Good Health and Well-being Category at the 12th  Sutainability, Enterprise Responsibility (SERAS) Awards.

    The company was recognised for its Safe Birth Initiative (SBI), aimed at tackling the high rate of maternal and newborn deaths in Nigeria.

    The SBI is a partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health, the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (MDGs) and Medshare International Inc., a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO).

    SBI is focused on supporting doctors and nurses to achieve successful birth outcomes by strengthening the capacity of target public hospitals in three critical areas – the procurement of vital maternal and neonatal medical equipment and supplies to enable safe deliveries and post-delivery emergency care.

    Others are training biomedical engineering technicians to improve equipment maintenance and uptime; and reactivating a large stock of abandoned medical equipment wasting away in public hospitals.

    The first phase of the initiative is  under implementation and will provide 15 major public hospitals recommended by the Federal Ministry of Health with hospital equipment, kits and supplies with a conservative value of about $10.8 million (about N3.8 billion).

    The SBI is expected to ultimately improve the affordability and accessibility of maternity health care services in the beneficiary hospitals.

    On receiving the award, the Public Affairs and Communications Manager, Coca-Cola, Nwamaka Onyemelukwe, said: “Awards like these encourage us to do more and strengthen our resolve to provide solutions to the various challenges facing the communities in which we serve.

    “We thank our project partners and dedicate this award to the brave medical professionals in hospitals across Nigeria who work tirelessly to ensure that mothers and their babies go back home alive.”

    Earlier, SBI marked the graduation of 20 biomedical engineering technicians, from 10 leading medical institutions across the country, who had undergone a two-week capacity training focused on improving equipment maintenance and uptime, as well as the delivery and installation of a full consignment of four units of 40-foot shipping containers of medical equipment at the National Hospital, Abuja.

     

  • Coca-Cola plans energy drinks

    Coca-Cola Company (KO.N) on Thursday said it plans to launch two energy drinks under its namesake brand, its latest move to diversify away from sugary sodas.

    Coca-Cola or Coke is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by The Coca-Cola Company.

    According to a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) report, originally intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Pemberton and was bought out by businessman Asa Griggs Candler.

    Candler’s marketing tactics led Coca-Cola to its dominance of the world soft-drink market throughout the 20th century.

    The drink’s name refers to two of its original ingredients: coca leaves, and kola nuts (a source of caffeine).

    Coca-Cola, in an emailed statement, declined to provide a timeline for the launch of the drinks, to be named “Coca-Cola Energy” and “Coca-Cola Energy No Sugar”.

    “The beverages would likely have caffeine from naturally-derived sources and guarana extract,” Coke said.

    Coke is currently in arbitration with energy drinks maker Monster Beverage (MNST.O), in which it is the top shareholder, over the launch of the drinks, which Monster says could violate an agreement between the companies.

    Monster shares fell 10 per cent on Thursday after news of the arbitration with Coke.

    “We have submitted the difference in interpretation to an arbitration panel for resolution, which is the mechanism agreed by the Coca-Cola Company and Monster in the original agreements,” a Coca-Cola spokesperson said.

  • Man gets strokes of cane for stealing packs of Coca-cola

    A Kubwa Grade 1 Area Court in the Federal Capital Teritory on Tuesday sentenced a 33-year-old man to 20 strokes of cane for stealing three packs of Coca-cola soft drinks, valued N4,400.

    The judge, Abdulwahab Mohammed, also counseled the convict, Mohammed Sani, to desist from committing crime and be of good behaviour.

    Read Also:Man in court over alleged stabbing of neigbour

    Sani was convicted for criminal trespass and theft.

    The Prosecutor, Babajide Olanipekun, had told the court that Sani stole three packs of Coca-cola drink from the complainant’s shop located at Byanzhin, Kubwa, Abuja, on November 2.

    He said Sani was chased and arrested with the drinks, adding that the offence contravened Sections 342 and 287 of the Penal Code.

    Sani pleaded guilty to the charges and begged the court for mercy, saying that he stole because he was hungry.

    Defence counsel, Moses Ugwummadu, prayed for the court to temper justice with mercy, adding that Sani would not do it again.

  • Feranmi lights up Moonlight

    Eighteen-year old poet and spoken-word artiste, Feranmi Okafor, is determined to inspire her world positively through the night of poetry show, “Moonlight Tales”.

    The show, which is in its second edition, seeks to bring together a community of like-minded people while giving budding poets a chance to explore and express themselves. It is usually held at the University of Lagos. This year’s edition was supported by Y’sMen’s Club of Lagos, Coca Cola, Swift Telephone Network, Impresio Africa, Mariteam, Masterkids, Qwint Perfect, So yummy and League Pharmacy and Servis Consult international.

    Feranmi, the convener of “Moonlight Tales is an advocate for nation-building and youth development. A Law student of UNILAG, the teenage poet is a budding author with a book in the works, and has graced different platforms for performance poetry. She is a recipient of several awards. Just recently, she was nominated as a global scholar to represent Nigeria in the Global Young Leaders Conference, in the United States of America. Feranmi has on the Moonlight Tales team five amazing youngsters: Raheemat Alaga, Wani, Walter Osaretin, Banji Coker and Pascal.

    For the teenage-poet, beyond entertainment, the show is one that is “food to the mind and soul”. “Moonlight Tales is not just a Show but a ‘Journey and a Lifestyle’. People come together to tell a story through Art and bring solutions to the issues we face in this challenging but mysterious world of ours. I am glad that Moonlight Tales 2.0 was a success more than last year’s.

    “They’ve always said words have a way of tapping into the inner chakras of the human mind, moonlight tales definitely made me feel at peace to the existent of revealing certain aspects of myself I had not discovered in 18 years. There was just something about the atmosphere that relaxed my mind both mentally and spiritually.”

  • Coca-Cola, Ogun upgrade facilities

    Coca-Cola Nigeria in partnership with the Ogun State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) is set to embark on construction and rehabilitation at the First Baptist Primary School, Ijaye-Oja Ale, Ilogbo, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

    The project is part of the Coca-Cola Foundation/UNDP New World Programme in collaboration with Ogun State Government aimed at providing critical infrastructural development in the school, which was established in 1910 as a missionary school adopted by the First Baptist Church before becoming a publicly owned primary school in the 1970s.

    Speaking at the foundation-laying of the project held at the school premises in Abeokuta penultimate Friday, the Managing Director, Coca-Cola Nigeria, Mr. Bhupendra Suri, who was represented by the Sustainability Manager, Coca-Cola West Africa Business Unit, Mr. Osita Abana, disclosed that the project funded by The Coca-Cola Foundation and implemented by the Youth Empowerment Foundation would be completed within six months.

    Abana explained that the scope of the project would cover the construction of a block of five classrooms, six units of functional gender segregated toilet with water and sanitation facilities, construction of a functional playground, rehabilitation of two units of toilets, and rehabilitation of two units of classrooms.

    He also noted that the projects when completed, would provide improved water supply not only to the school, but also to the entire Ijaye Oja-Ale Ilogbo Community.

    “Beyond this infrastructural development, Coca-Cola Foundation will also facilitate a capacity building training for the teachers of the school to deploy literacy enhancement programmes targeted at the upper primary section of the school,” he said.

    Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology for Ogun State, Mrs Modupe Mujota, said  the project would go a long way in improving the quality of education offered to the pupils of the school while also impacting the community positively.

    Mujota praised Coca-Cola Foundation for supporting the state government in providing a conducive learning environment in schools through the school rehabilitation project.

    She urged the teachers, pupils, parents and the old students to take ownership and make good use of the facilities upon completion and ensure adequate security to prevent vandalism and theft.

    “Without mincing words, this project is an unprecedented endeavour and a representation of the sincerity of the state government as regards education. This foundation-laying marks the culmination of an intricate process of planning, organisation and the beginning of another demanding journey-the process of executing and instituting our plans,” she noted.

    The state Universal Basic Education Board Chairman, Alhaji Olatunji Okewole, described the partnership between the board and Coca-Cola Nigeria as a welcome development in terms of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in bridging infrastructure gap in schools.

    He thanked Coca-Cola Nigeria for the gesture and urged other corporate bodies to emulate the company. He applauded the School Base Management Committee (SBMC) of the school under the Chairmanship of Alhaji Juwon Labode, the teachers and staff members of the school for their unrelenting and unflinching effort towards the actualisation of the project.

     

  • Coca-Cola to launch alcoholic drink

    soft drinks giant Coca-Cola says it is planning to produce an alcoholic drink for the first time in the 125 years of its existence.

    In September, the West African arm of the company had announced plans of spending $600 million on expanding its production lines.

    The president of the West Africa operation at Coca-Cola, Peter Njonjo, had said the company wants to be a total beverage company and reduce reliance on carbonated soft drinks.

    The planned alcoholic drink, which will be launched in Japan, will contain between three and eight per cent alcohol by volume.

    The drink will be marketed as an alcopop — a term used to describe sweet but alcoholic drinks. Popular examples are Smirnoff Ice and Snapp.

    According to BBC reports, Coca-Cola Japan President Jorge Garduno said the drink will be a “modest experiment for a specific slice of our market. We haven’t experimented in the low alcohol category before, but it’s an example of how we continue to explore opportunities outside our core areas. It is unlikely the drink would be sold outside of Japan.”

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • NESG, Coca-Cola emphasise sustainable growth

    The advocacy for Nigeria’s growth narratives to focus on inclusive growth received a boost at the monthly Breakfast Forum of the Nigerian-South African Chamber of Commerce held recently in Lagos under the sponsorship of Coca-Cola Nigeria.

    Chairman, Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG) and Managing Partner, Trans Sahara Investment Corporation, Mr Kyari Abba Bukar, who was the guest speaker at the occasion in a paper titled “Nigeria’s Economic Outlook and the Imperatives for Inclusive Growth and Development,” called for a three-pronged approach focusing on the productive sector, social inclusion and safety nets.

    While acknowledging Nigeria’s strong growth rates in the 2000s, he noted, however, that this growth was accompanied by rising unemployment and poverty rates, thus, devoid of inclusiveness and widespread development. He said the economic recession in 2016 and the process of recovery in 2017, both of which were triggered by developments in the oil sector, further raises concerns about the pattern and quality of the country’s economic growth and that this anomaly should not continue into 2018 and beyond.

    Consequently, Bukar counselled that the “imperatives for sustainable growth and development should be based on the three pillars of inclusive growth, firstly, achieving growth based on and led by the productive sectors; secondly, pursuing social inclusion and thirdly, providing social safety nets for the poor and vulnerable citizens.”

    Bukar stressed that Nigeria’s economic landscape needs a total rethink. “Making growth inclusive is not a negotiable option for the government. The concern for the economy should go beyond the narrative of mere growth, emphasis should be on ensuring that more resources are efficiently utilised,” he said.

    Among other policy recommendations, Bukar called on the government to ensure macro-economic stability; extend the ease of doing business reforms at state level; implement holistic structural education and health reforms; and review and implement the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP).

    Contributing to the discourse, Public Affairs and Communications Director for West Africa, Mr Clem Ugorji, said Coca-Cola was proud to sponsor the event as part of the company’s longstanding commitment to promote dialogue and thought leadership on key issues that impact society and development. He said businesses can only thrive where there is an enabling environment, noting that such environment is not defined by infrastructure alone but also by social inclusion and safety nets which are crucial drivers of social stability.

    According to Ugorji, ‘’Businesses must begin to take active interest in promoting and participating in multi-stakeholder dialogues that shape policies for inclusive growth and stable environments, taking cognisance of the fact that the best business strategies and ample resources cannot guarantee sustainable business success in an environment of increasing poverty and chaos.’’ He said Coca-Cola is ever conscious of this reality and is therefore guided by the principle that a business is only as sustainable as the community in which it operates.

  • Coca-Cola begins challenge in Nigeria

    Coca-Cola Nigeria has further reinforced its commitment to harnessing the underlying potential of Nigerian youths as the beverage giant commenced the Global Management Challenge (GMC) for the first time in Nigeria, playing a lead sponsor role.

    The Global Management Challenge is the largest strategy and management competition in the world. It’s the largest international event based on business simulations, with more than 500 000 university students and company managers participating in this event throughout the world. The competition which is a virtual business simulation kicked-off recently at the University of Lagos and has eighty students with not less than a CGPA of 4.30 across different departments from the institution sponsored by Coca-Cola. They will compete for the team to represent Nigeria in the upcoming international final in Dubai in April 2018.

    Speaking at the event, Public Affairs and Communications  Manager for Coca-Cola, Nwamaka Onyemelukwe, applauded the participating students on the life-changing opportunity given to them with the initiative, emphasising that the competition will further prepare the students even better for the outside world after graduation. “Doing the right things requires knowledge, understanding and experience.   This  competition will offer the perfect synergy between knowledge, intelligence and the right experience to be good managers in the future.

  • Coca-Cola to invest $90m in Kenya to broaden product range

    Coca-Cola to invest $90m in Kenya to broaden product range

    Soft drinks maker, Coca-Cola, says it plans to invest up to $90 million in Kenya over three years through 2018 to increase its product range in the region.

    In a statement on Tuesday in Nairobi, the company said the wider range of soft drinks in the country would begin in 2018 but did not give details of the range of products

    Coca-Cola, which is the leader in the Kenyan soda market with brands like Coke and Fanta, said it had invested a total of $17 billion in Africa since 2014.

    According to the company, the amount doubles what was invested in the continent a decade before.

    The group, however, faces growing competition in Kenya from other soft drinks producers like SABmiller and PepsiCo.

    NAN