Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is not only critical to actualizing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that address critical issues such as poverty, zero hunger, good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, and affordable and clean energy through collaborative innovation but through collaboration, it can be a tool for social impact, according to the company behind the Oando retail brand in West Africa, OVH Energy Marketing.
Acknowledging that over the years, there has been substantial growth in CSR initiatives, OVH Energy said companies have become more aware of the roles they play in the growth of the economies they operate in, which has led to the reinforcement of greater community engagement.
In recent years, the marketing company has executed projects contributing to the socio-economic development of the communities it operates in. Founded in August 2014, The OLEUM Academy is a skills development initiative born out of our commitment to raising the automotive maintenance standard in Nigeria.
The Academy seeks to contribute to the closure of the industry knowledge gap by 80 percent ensuring that Nigerians have access to professional and technically sound automotive support. It offers automotive mechatronics and, lubrication, training for mechanics and auto-technicians nationwide.
Alongside this, OVH Energy Marketing also introduced the Mechanic Oleum Reseller Enterprise Initiative. This initiative is aimed at enhancing the entrepreneurial skills of mechanics, ensuring product availability, deepening usage, and increasing customer base, thereby helping them build better, more sustainable businesses.
“Steve Jobs was a visionary proponent that ‘great things in business are never done by one person’. At OVH Energy Marketing we have identified the long-reaching impact of collaborative CSR, leveraging it to increase sustainable development in host communities. Our recent partnerships are skewed towards increasing collaborative CSR efforts to increase social impact. This is the future, and we are excited to be a part of this shift,” said Huub Stokman, Chief Executive Officer, OVH Energy Marketing.
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In partnership with END Fund, a private philanthropic organization focused on tackling neglected diseases; OVH Energy Marketing demonstrated its commitment to investing in strengthening the health and well-being of its host communities.
The partnership provided funding in tackling neglected tropical diseases through the provision of preventative treatments for intestinal worms, schistosomiasis, blinding trachoma, river blindness, and lymphatic filariasis. With a robust, school and community-based program, the investment will aid in the training of teachers and community drug distributors to ensure the community health and education systems are strengthened in six states across Nigeria, and the Federal Capital Territory respectively.
OVH Energy Marketing recently partnered with Pacegate Limited, a leading manufacturer of steel drums and distributor of Adipro Chemicals & Additives, through Project Evolve to empower female students across Nigeria. Project Evolve seeks to address the global challenge of climate change through the education of underprivileged girls. According to Project Drawdown, the world’s leading research for climate solutions carried out by 100 of the top scientists in the world, educating girls is the sixth most impactful solution out of 100 mentioned combating the effects of global warming.
There are economic, cultural, and safety-related barriers that impede the girl child from realizing her right to education. A key strategy to changing this, according to OVH Energy, is to provide the girl child attending government schools with school supplies and teach the children heartfulness relaxation techniques.
“Quality education gives girls the skills and knowledge to respond to climate-related disasters while also equipping them to navigate the ever-changing environment around them,” it said.
Through its partnership with Pacegate, over 400 schoolgirls in Omole Senior Grammar School, Lagos state, and Community Junior Secondary School Amadi-Ama, Rivers state have received school supplies such as school bags, books, pens, sandals, and uniforms supporting their education. Project Evolve addresses the need for women empowerment as an important development objective, highlighting the relevance of gender equality in climate issues, according to OVH Energy Marketing.
The company said it believes that leveraging competencies through innovative CSR collaboration is indeed the future of implementing sustainable change. Through these partnerships, OVH Energy Marketing continues to demonstrate that Collaborative CSR is perhaps the cornerstone of increasing impact and reach.
