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Tag: CSR

  • Journalists urge QNET to deepen CSR, public awareness to battle misconceptions

    Journalists urge QNET to deepen CSR, public awareness to battle misconceptions

    Nigerian journalists who recently attended QNET’s flagship convention in Malaysia have called on the global direct selling company to ramp up its corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts and public awareness campaigns in Nigeria to counter widespread misconceptions about its brand.

    The journalists, drawn from various media outlets, were part of a delegation sponsored by QNET to attend its international convention, V-Con 2024, in Penang, Malaysia.

    They also toured the company’s global headquarters in Kuala Lumpur and visited Quest International University, gaining insight into QNET’s operations, products, and corporate culture.

    Speaking during a virtual experience-sharing session, the journalists said the trip significantly reshaped their views of QNET, revealing a well-structured and ethical business—far removed from the negative reputation it faces in Nigeria.

    Assistant Editor at The Nation, Precious Igbonwelundu, said while she had reported on QNET locally, she was astonished by the scale and professionalism of the organisation at the Spice Arena in Penang.

    “What I saw was beyond anything I expected. Thousands from India, the Philippines, Africa, and the Middle East were present—driven, passionate, and united in purpose. These weren’t employees but independent entrepreneurs,” she said.

    Igbonwelundu noted that QNET operates with a high level of accountability, citing its compliance unit, exams for representatives, and partnerships with law enforcement. However, she urged the company to invest more in community initiatives in Nigeria.

    “They should replicate CSR projects like the School for the Blind support in Ghana here in Nigeria. That would significantly help shift perceptions,” she added.

    Kayode Bakare, Group Head of Programs at Rhythm FM, praised QNET’s decision to invite journalists from across Africa to experience its operations. He said the V-Con convention, which drew over 8,000 participants, showcased the company’s vast international presence.

    He encouraged QNET to increase its media visibility. “Radio and TV can help build credibility. Nigerians need to hear from real people behind the brand,” Bakare said.

    Peter Oluka, Editor of TechEconomy.ng, shared a personal takeaway from the event, saying he connected with QNET not just professionally but emotionally and intellectually.

    He also commended the company’s CSR activities across Africa, including in Ghana and Nigeria, and advised it to sustain and expand such efforts.

    Another journalist from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Fumilola Gboteku said she had strong reservations about QNET before the trip but returned with a new perspective. “Everything I had heard on social media painted QNET as a scam, but during the media rounds, I saw a structured compliance system with a zero-tolerance policy for unethical behaviour”, she said.

    According to her, the company’s partnership with law enforcement agencies and public awareness campaigns was commendable, adding that “a few bad actors have damaged the brand image. QNET must be more aggressive in separating itself from them”.

    Read Also: QNET advocates direct selling legislations to curb fraud

    Royal Ibeh of Business Day said the trip gave her the opportunity to seek the truth and correct long-standing assumptions. “We owe our readers facts, not rumours. I met real distributors, saw real products, and interviewed people who had their lives transformed through the QNET platform”, she said.

    She urged journalists to balance their reports by seeking clarification from the company when misinformation arises. “Every big organisation has its challenges, but that should not define the whole. QNET is doing a lot to protect its name and needs our support in setting the record straight, she added.

    QNET’s representative, Ayokunmi Solesi, said the media session was organised as part of the company’s commitment to transparency, storytelling and long-term engagement in Nigeria.

    He said the company remains focused on empowering people through entrepreneurship and creating platforms for growth and ownership, especially in a country like Nigeria where jobs are scarce.

    “We are here to build trust through real voices and honest conversations”, he added. 

  • Reps committee threatens IOCs with arrest over non-implementation of CSR

    Reps committee threatens IOCs with arrest over non-implementation of CSR

    The House of Representatives committee investigating the non-implementation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) by multinational oil companies and other corporate bodies in the Niger Delta region has threatened to invoke the constitutional powers of the parliament to order the arrest of the chief executive officers of the companies for undermining the House.

    The committee was angry that the oil companies refused to honour its investigation, following series of petitions that accused the companies of neglect and non-implementation of their CSR.

    Chairman of the committee, Prof. Obiageli Lilian Orogbu, frowned at the failure of some major oil companies to attend the investigative hearing.

    Read Also: CSR: NSE Ota grades roads

    The chairman warned that the committee would deal decisively with any organisation that failed to respect the House investigative panel.

    She said: “The House has asked us to carry out this exercise based on quantum of petitions from host communities against most of you. We will not take kindly with any organisations that decide to undermine this assignment.”

    Orogbu said the investigative hearing was borne out of genuine intention of the parliament to see that corporate bodies operating in Nigeria keep to the best practices of their operations and environmental behaviours within their host communities.

    She said: “Reports at the disposal of the parliament show that a lot of you are lagging behind in this regard.

  • Experts mull CSR investment for all sectors

    Experts mull CSR investment for all sectors

    Public Relations experts have disclosed that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) should not just be done by few big business entities, multinationals or rich individual but should be the sole responsibility of every individuals and businesses whether small or big in the interest of making the society better and protecting the planet in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

    They made this assertion at the unveiling ceremony of the book titled ‘Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development’ co-authored by Dr. Wole Adamolekun and Dr. Rotimi Olatunji.

    According to the reviewer of the book, Lanre Arogundade who was represented by Oladokun Omojola said that “CSR should not necessarily be an exclusive preserve and sole responsibility of big business entities and super-rich individuals. Rather, it should be the concern for all, to make the desire impact.”

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    He added that “Corporate Social Responsibility, with or without the ‘corporate,’ had great potentials in the years to come, as it is the defining factor for those businesses that will hold sway. The corporate scandals that wreaked irreparable damage to the corporate image of many big multinationals: the unethical practices of falsified company performance accounts, poor labour standards, human right abuses, corruption, aggravated poverty, conflict and negative environmental impacts, are all eye-openers for pitfalls that can be avoided. Ultimately, this will aid the achievement of peak performance in the three key areas of the environment, social, and financial performance.”

    The Chairman of the occasion, Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, who is also the Group Managing Director of CMC Connect LLP, said “The world is changing and we are feeling the effect of not giving back to the society and not being socially responsible. I know times are hard but we must give more.”

  • We’ll make sure companies embrace CSR, Reps committee assures

    We’ll make sure companies embrace CSR, Reps committee assures

    The House of Representatives Committee of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has said it will ensure all companies operating in the country play a role in shaping an enabling environment that empowers businesses to embrace CSR as a natural extension of their core operations.

    Chairman of the Committee, Prof Lilian Orogbu, in the inaugural meeting of the committee said this would be achieved through constantly engaging all relevant stakeholders to understand the challenges and opportunities on the ground.

    She said through the engagements, they will identify best practices and develop guidelines tailored to the unique needs of the country’s diverse business landscape. 

    Orogbu added that furthermore, they will work towards streamlining CSR reporting mechanisms, ensuring transparency and accountability in all efforts undertaken by organizations.

    Read Also: Five African countries with weakest passports

    “To the Corporate business and Public institutions, it’s high time to reposition the Federal Government’s Corporate Social Responsibility policy to be in tune with best global practices. In this regard the Committee will seek partnerships with all the relevant stakeholders,International Legislative interface on improved CSR, collaboration with CSO’S/NGO’s at home and abroad, and relevant Government agencies in the fair discharge of its duties for the entire citizenry, it’s a new dawn in the Corporate Social Responsibility sector in Nigeria.

    “To achieve these goals, I am pleased to present our Committee’s comprehensive work plan for the tenure ahead. This plan is designed to guide our efforts, focusing on key areas that will enable us to fulfil our mandate effectively.

    She urged all members of the business community to embrace this call for action. 

    “CSR is not a burden, but a transformative opportunity to make a positive difference. By joining hands and working together, we can create a more equitable,sustainable, and prosperous society for all,” she said.

    “Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), as we all know, is not a new concept. It has been an integral part of many organizations’ host community development strategies for years. However, Mr Speaker, in his wisdom with the hindsight of deficit in compliance and indolent disposition by companies in Nigeria taking cognizance of the continuous multiplier effects on the rural development of the host communities, Mr Speaker and House leadership created the CSR committee with the mandate, as outlined in the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives 10th Assembly.”

  • CBN lauds Ecobank’s Sustainability Efforts

    The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has recognized and awarded Ecobank Nigeria on its laudable sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

    The CBN at its 2018 annual awards for sustainability in Lagos, recognized Ecobank’s activities in four categories which include Sustainability Bank of the Year;; Sustainability Bank of the Year -oil and gas; Sustainability Bank of the Year -power sector and the Women Empowerment category  – the bank was first runners up in all four categories. These recognitions are an acknowledgement not only of the bank’s efforts at supporting industrial sector development but also in the development of efficient sustainability programmes for the good of the citizenry.

    Read also: CBN slashes interest rate to 13.5%

    The CBN Sustainability Awards – a part of the Nigerian Sustainable Banking Principle, NSBP, initiated in 2012, is an award that appreciates the efforts of financial service providers who have been able to successfully integrate social and environmental considerations into their operations, spanning across their processes and strategies.

    In his comment, Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria, Patrick Akinwuntan, said:  “it is a deliberate policy of Ecobank Nigeria to embark on sustainable projects that impact people and the environment.

     

     

  • Foundation deepens CSR, empowers women

    The Zidora Aid Foundation (ZAF) has taken its charity works and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) commitment to a higher level. The group  is implementing an empowerment programme for widows and orphans in Ukpor, Anambra State.

    Worried by the hardship faced by widows and orphans in the society, the ZAF has empowered widows and orphans in some inner city communities in Lagos and Anambra states with free medical treatment and foodstuff for thousands of widows and orphans.

    ZAF 34-year old founder, Arinze Madueke noted that the foundation was set out to empower women, especially widows in Nigeria.

    ZAF is the CSR arm of Zidora Group lived up to his tradition of giving succour to the less-privileged during this yuletide. Apart from distributing hundreds of bags of rice, groundnut oil, carton of Indomie and lots more during the festive period, the foundation went a step further by providing a befitting shelter for a homeless widow, in Anambra State.

    The widow who hails from Ukpor Anambra State has been living in a dilapidated house for years. The foundation decided to come to her rescue after she tried to getting assistance from other rich people in her community, but her efforts proved abortive. Fortunately for her, she caught the attention of Madueke who through his non-governmental organization, Zidora Aid Foundation decided to build a four-bedroom bungalow for her. The young medical doctor cum philanthropist was attracted by the ramshackle nature of the house and did not believe a human being should be residing in such a place in this modern age, but behold, it is the dwelling of a widow.

    According to Madueke,” I embarked on all these to alleviate the sufferings and pains people go through in our society. I know what it means for someone to be homeless or to live in a house with leaking a roof. “Wealth would be meaningless if it cannot be used to better the lives of the people of the needy around me. “The rich and wealthy in our society must provide jobs for the youths; build skills acquisition centers for willing adults, market stalls for men and women, if

    society must be secure,” he said.

    On the agenda of the Zidora Aid Foundation, Madueke disclosed that ZAF is a Non-Governmental Organization that has an agenda geared towards women empowerment, the less privileged children in our society in the form of skills acquisition, and financial assistance; health intervention; basic education for kids of the underprivileged in the society and nutrition. He said, “We go round Nigeria to help the underprivileged widow in the society and this we have been doing over the years in Lagos.

    Unlike other NGO’s who solicit help and support from government, foreign donors and corporate organizations, Zidora aid foundation is funded solely from proceeds of the Zidora Group of Companies.

     

    The charming and handsome philanthropist further said, “To change our society and make this world a better place we MUST love, we MUST give and we MUST share no matter how small”

     

  • CSR: Stallionaire gives back to the community

    As part of its Corporate Social responsibility (CSR), Stallionaire Nigeria Limited, an oil and gas firm, has spread its wings to Ogun State where over 200 poor people suffering from hernia disease were treated through high quality surgical operation free of charge.

    Stallionaire, in partnership with Rotary Club, Abeokut,a organised a free hernia surgical operation camp for young and old people suffering from the scourge of Hernia, a disease associated with grave disability, morbidity and mortality, especially in long standing neglected cases.

    Flagging off the occasion, Stallionaire Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr Deji Somoye spoke of the significance of the project, especially in reducing the high mortality rate in the rural areas, adding that at the end of the first phase of the programme, over 200 people benefited from it with over 500 intending beneficiaries already screened for the second phase slated for the first quarter of this year.

    “The Rotary Club of Abeokuta and Stallioniare have left an indelible mark in the sands of time, and the minds of those whose lives were touched.

    “To ensure maximum impact, Stallionaire had made this surgical expedition camp an annual event among other areas of service projects that will touch the lives of the masses in various communities and as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility to bring joy, smiles and succor to the needy,” he said.

    Corroborating Somoye, Rotary Club President, Dr Gbenga Taiwo, expressed deep appreciation to Stallionaire group for funding the project 100 per cent and for providing other similar financial support to help the weak and poor in other areas.

    Hernia is a curable disease, if promptly identified and treated. The surgical operation falls within the disease prevention and treatment focus area of the Rotary International Club Abeoukuta and was a focal point of Stallionaire Social Corporate Responsibility in 2017.

    The burden of Hernia disease and the associated mortality in Africa, especially Sub-Saharan Africa, is enormous with a limited surgical capacity to reduce this burden, hence, it has been advocated that an African Hernia Society should be formed to partner corporate and international organisations to make Hernia a public health problem, and as such, make modern hernia surgery available to reduce the burden.

  • CSR: IEI Anchor takes on hepatitis

    In line with its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) drive, IEI-Anchor Pensions has developed an action plan to address hepatitis, the Managing Director, Glory Etaduovie, has said.

    Etaduovie, in a statement made available to reporters, said the plan was part of activities for the global Customer Service Week.

    He stated that the disease, which has become a major public health concern, is responsible for the loss of lives in Nigeria.

    He said the disease is tagged as one of the ‘silent killers’, with a record of about five million deaths yearly by a February 2018 report, noting that Nigeria had one of the highest prevalence of hepatitis B infections in the world in 2016.

    He stressed that IEI Anchor, a Pension Fund Administrator (PFA), has chosen to fight the disease by championing periodic health checks as well as public enlightenment.

    Etaduovie added: “It is quite disheartening to note that while deaths attributed to other diseases of great public concern are on the decline, the same cannot be said about viral hepatitis which seems to witness a steady rise in fatalities despite advances made in prevention and treatment. These surveys have been carried out by organisations of repute, such as the Global Burden of Disease, a non-governmental body as well as the World Health Organisation. The situation is made even more worrisome considering the limited number of health facilities, as well as experts who have to contend with the large number of patients in view of the population and size of our country.

    “Patients who detect these infections early enough, however, have a greater chance of survival, which is the thrust of IEI Anchor Pensions position in this fight. We want to champion a course of periodic health checks as well as public enlightenment in all there is to know about this disease. For our Customer Service Week, we will be engaging our customers in health lectures as well as checks to ascertain their health status in relation to this dreaded ailment. We realise that this silent killer can only make incursions into a natio’s health system where ignorance is ingrained.

    “As the major stakeholders in our operations and success story, we see our customers as partners in the growth and development of the pension industry and the economic benefits it presents to the nation. Our doors are wide open to our customers as we would love nothing more than a healthy society which surely is a happy and successful one.”

  • STI promotes CSR in schools

    Sovereign Trust Insurance (STI) Plc has donated bags and other items to primary schools around its corporate Head Office in Victoria Island, Lagos.

    Its Head of Corporate Communications & Brand Management, Segun Bankole said the initiative was to commemorate  Children’s Day.

    According to him, the initiative is geared towards promoting academic excellence and good behavioural conduct among pupils in public primary schools in the country.”

    He said the initiative would go beyond the Children’s Day as the company intends to make it on-going in other locations.

    Bankole stressed that part of the criteria in determining recipients included the best pupils in Mathematics and English Language, the most punctual pupil, best behaved boy and girl, and the most improved pupil.

     

  • Fidelity Bank lauded for CSR roles

    Fidelity Bank Plc has in its bid to enhance the lives and wellbeing of children with disabilities donated special learning aids to Precious Kids International School in Jalingo, Taraba State. The bank under the auspices of the ‘Fidelity Helping Hands Programme’ (FHHP), its multi-purpose vehicle for corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme also provided stationeries and writing materials to the children as part of continuous efforts to improve the standard of education in the country.

    The project was initiated by staff of Jalingo Branch whose personal contributions were matched by the bank, in line the bank’s CSR philosophy. Speaking in Jalingo during the ceremony, Fidelity Bank CEO, Nnamdi Okonkwo said the bank recognizes the importance of education as a powerful tool for socioeconomic transformation.

    Okonkwo who was represented by the Regional Bank Head, North East, Musa Tarimbuka said, “today, we are here to impact the lives of our young ones; some of whom who are visually impaired and have speaking and hearing impediments. It is our hope that the donation of educational materials to Precious Kids International School Jalingo, that will aid effective teaching and learning in the school.”

    Wife of the Governor of Taraba State, Anna Darius Ishaku who was the Special Guest of Honour at the event, thanked the bank for its kind gesture.