A popular African proverb suggests that it takes two people to bear a child but an entire village to raise one. This cannot be truer about the success of Coca-Cola. While the journey may have begun with the genius of late John Pemberton who invented this beloved drink, the immense success of Coca-Cola can also be attributed to the people who took the brave step to invest in our first IPO 100 years ago.
What has followed has been a century of success for the Coca-Cola brand and its products. This is a testament to the great work of everyone who has invested time, money, and efforts to achieving our long- and short-term goals. We look into the next century with optimism, as we continue to expand and seek out new innovative ways to refresh our millions of consumers in Nigeria.
The last few years have seen us acquire some new products as we continue to expand our value proposition across various categories in the FMCG industry. Beyond our immediate product offerings, however, we as a company are also committed to making the world a better place.
Since 1886 when the first bottle of Coca-Cola hit the shelf, the world has undergone some massive cultural and socio-economic changes. Locally in Nigeria, some of the pressing issues that we have identified include women economic empowerment, safe and sustainable water access, proper plastic waste disposal, as well as total wellbeing.
With an infant mortality rate of 100.2 per 1000 in Nigeria, our country ranks as 3rd in the list of countries with the worst infant mortality rate. In collaboration with our partners, we have begun work to alleviate such issues. Our Safe birth initiative seeks to equip various hospitals with the equipment and technical know-how to carry out gynaecology procedures using the best practices.
Plastic waste disposal is also a persistent issue in the world, and even more so in our country. To this effect, we have kicked off our world without waste program which seeks to not only educate people on proper waste disposal but also to work with relevant stakeholders to improve our plastic waste disposal and recycling procedure.
While we look to take on the challenges that the next century will present, we look ahead with great optimism, all whilst remaining focused on our core values as a company. We understand both our role and responsibility as a leading brand in Nigeria. We take great pride in being able to continually deliver great products to our great consumers in the country. We do not take this for granted, and we are committed to continuing this great tradition.
Today, however, is a day to celebrate, a day to reflect on the journey so far. Days like these are a reminder of the immense success we can achieve when we work together and are driven by one singular ambition. Despite our evolution and growth as a company, our goals and aspirations still remain the same. Our world view is still as naive and optimistic as the first time we brought smiles to the faces of our consumers when the first bottle of Coca-Cola hit the shelf. Our purpose to refresh the world and make a difference continues.
Cheers to another 100 years of success.
CLEM UGORJI
Clem Ugorji is the Public Affairs & Communications Director for the Coca-Cola West Africa Business Unit
