Nigeria, one of the world’s leading producers of oil with a population of over 200 million, is now faced with decline in government revenue due to unstable prices of oil, the country’s economic mainstay.
Consequently, Nigeria’s government now depends largely on borrowing from rich nations and financial institutions to develop infrastructure, fund budget and stabilise the economy.
Due to revenue shortfall, the government finds it difficult to attend to all the sectors of the economy that requires investment.
This, according to pundits, is where socially responsible and sustainable businesses come in handy. These businesses evaluate the society where they operate to see some gaps that needed to be bridged, and rather than wait for the government, they invest in bringing solutions in those areas.
One of such businesses is SIFAX Group, a multinational with over 10 subsidiaries and diverse investment interests particularly in maritime, transport logistics and aviation.
As a socially responsible corporate citizen that believes that its host communities must feel its impact, SIFAX Group spent over N250 million in 2021 on giving to the society in line with its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes. This focuses on education, health, economic empowerment, and the physically challenged.
The Group has two major ways of executing its CSR projects. One is through Ajoke Ayisat Afolabi Foundation (AAAF), it philanthropic arm that has offices in Lagos, Zaria, and Umuahia.
Another form is through direct spending on key CSR projects. Some of which include:
The Next Titan
As an associate sponsor of the Next Titan, an entrepreneurial reality TV show that gives youths within ages of 18-40 an opportunity to pitch for business idea in order to secure grant, SIFAX puts in about N20 million per annum into this show.
“We are supporting this show to empower the next set of wealth creators in Nigeria and help reduce rate of unemployment in the country. With this show, youths can begin to think of entrepreneurship opportunities and how to become employers of labour,” the company said.
Support to foundations
The firm partners foundations such as Initiative for National Growth, MoRainbow Foundation, Chesri Foundation to reach out to children living with Autism, blind, Down syndrome and to educate public schools students.
In 2021, SIFAX supported the Chesri Foundation with over N5 million, to educate over 200 students across five public schools in Apapa and its environs.
Read also: SIFAX Group spending on CSR hits N250m in 2021
Ijora drainage support
Ijora is one of the areas that house the SIFAX Inland Container Terminal in Lagos. This explains why SIFAX Logistics supported the drainage efforts being put together by the Ijora community.
Taiwo Afolabi rural dental outreach
Another charity work, which the Group holds dearly, is the rural dental outreach which holds yearly in partnership with the University of Ibadan Dental Students Association (UADS) for residents of Ibadan.
It gives free dental check, body mass index (BMI) measurement, blood pressure test, random blood glucose measurement, dental clerking, examination and referrals, as well as scaling and polishing.
Sponsoring the programme, according to the Group, was part of its humanitarian initiatives designed to provide support to indigent Nigerians.
Alimosho Youth Empowerment
Annually, SIFAX supports the Alimosho Youths Empowerment Scheme which involves training of youths in the Alimosho area of Lagos state on vocational skills.
Through the scheme, youths are trained on tailoring, barbing, cooking, baking, bag making, shoemaking, soap making among others, and they receive starter’s pack to start their businesses.
Support for displaced children in the Northern
Through an NGO known as Chen Education, SIFAX also supports children displaced by the insecurity in the Northern part of the country.
Bus donation to Mission to Seafarers
In 2021, SIFAX Group donated a brand new 30-seater Hyundai H1 Space Bus to an organisation known as Mission to Seafarers. The Mission provides spiritual and humanitarian services to seafarers who call Nigerian ports.
“Seafarers are the engine room of international trade vis-à-vis the maritime industry, and they are always away from their families for a long time. SIFAX Group will continue to support laudable initiatives that caters for them,” Bunmi Eniola Jegede, executive director, Business Development and Strategic Planning, said at the unveiling of the bus in Lagos, last year.
Taiwo Afolabi U-17 football competition
SIFAX places much importance on sports development in Nigeria. This is why the Taiwo Afolabi U-17 football competition was put in place. The competition has produced superstars that have gone to represent the country at international tournaments. One of such is Samson Tijani, Nigeria’s U-17 captain.
The tournament, which usually holds in honour of Taiwo Afolabi, group executive vice chairman of SIFAX Group, seeks to scout for young football talents that would become the next superstars.
Some youngsters who have passed through the competition have also won scholarships to join international schools such as Greensprings International School.
South-West Para-athletics Championship:
In addition to football, the Group has also supported the South-West Para-Athletics Championship, a sports competition organised by the Lagos Para-Athletics Association aimed at promoting the sporting talents of people living with disabilities.
During this competition, which held in Teslim Balogun Stadium Lagos, athletes from Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Osun and Ekiti states competed for honours, and SIFAX sponsored it to the tune of N5 million.
Support for Nigeria Athletes at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics:
Taiwo Afolabi also collaborated with the Federal Ministry of Sports to adopt athletes that represented Nigeria at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
To achieve this, he provided over $10,000 each to Aruna Quadri and Funke Oshonaike, who represented Nigeria in Table Tennis.
Commenting on the CSR projects, Taiwo Afolabi, group executive vice-chairman, SIFAX Group, said one of the key pillars of the company’s business philosophy is to positively impact humanity and the society where the company operates.
“Right from the inception of our company in 1988, we integrated social impact into our business strategy. Our businesses are not designed for profit-making alone. We see ourselves as a platform that supports social causes, which in turn provide opportunities, engender social stability and economic prosperity. We are motivated to do more when we see the physical impact of these projects on thousands of Nigerians,” Afolabi said.
To further achieve its CSR objectives, the company established Ajoke Ayisat Afolabi Foundation (AAAF) to help its giving activities. Named after the mother of Taiwo Afolabi, the GEVC- the Foundation, which has been in existence over 10 years, focused its programmes around- support for widows, scholarships for indigent students, girl-child empowerment, women empowerment, rural health outreach and among others.
In the year under review, a total of N33 million with a monthly donation of N2,75 million and additional N1 million were given to the Zaria branch of the AAAF to fund free medicals, skill acquisition training, community welfare and scholarship indigent students.
For the AAAF Lagos and South-West office, over N54.63 million was spent in 2021 to fund projects like prison mission, book publication, economic empowerment, health outreach and education/ payment of tuition.
Under the Umuahia office, business grants were given to 47 women and Knap sacks while fertilizers were given to 98 women farmers in Abia state. This is in addition to the National Essay Competition and National Mathematics Competition that were held in Lagos and Abia states in the year under review.
Foluke Ademokun, executive coordinator of AAAF, assured that the beneficiaries of the CSR programmes are making judicious use of the opportunities.
She said the Foundation seeks to partner with more sponsors, both domestic and international, as well as other stakeholders, in order to touch more lives.
Though, SIFAX Group has shown social responsibility in its operations in 2021, pundits said there is need for the Group to sustain and expand its projects in order to cater for more in 2022 financial year.
