Business
Firm Reaffirms Commitment To Environmental Sustainability
A leading non-alcoholic beverage manufacturing firm, Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC), has restated its commitment to environmental sustainability.
In a statement by the company last Wednesday and signed by the Legal, Public Affairs and Communications Director, Mrs Sade Morgan, it stated that the firm has integrated sustainability and corporate responsibility into every part of her operations and building long-term share value for its business and stakeholders.
Morgan explained that NBC is part of Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company and is always developing new initiatives to drive sustainability in its operations and amongst employees.
According to her, “The Company recently launched ‘Water Pledge’, an internal campaign aimed at creating more awareness within its operations to commit to water minimization initiative in its plants, with a pioneer activation in her Asejire Plant.
” In addition, the company has established a Sustainability Award, to ensure day-to-day milestone efforts to add up to sustained improvements and best practices in quality, safety and environment, demanding healthy competition amongst different NBC production locations “,she said.
Speaking on how the Company treats its waste water, the spokesperson said, the company has ensured that all water returned to the natural environment is treated to the level that, supports aquatic life, adding that eleven bottling plants spread across Nigeria have on-site functional waste water treatment plants.
She further noted that treated water released into the environment is suitable for use in agriculture as well as supporting plant and animal life.
Morgan recalled that In 2016, Coca-Cola HBC was named beverage industry leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for the third consecutive year and explained that this three-peat award celebrates the Coca-Cola Hellenic Group’s commitments to upholding their leading position in the beverage industry on sustainability matters.
”NBC is contributing to meeting the Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Group target of 40% reduction by 2020, (when compared to 2010) in its environmental footprints, as it relates to water and carbon emission, through its water and energy consumption reduction initiatives”.
In addition, NBC, together with its partners, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, is taking the lead, in collaboration with other social enterprises, in the collection and recovery of post-consumer packaging materials as part of their extended producer responsibility initiative. Employees have also not been left out of these sustainability initiatives. Occasionally, employees of the Company take part in voluntary initiatives such as tree planting and other clean-up exercises, during work time. One of which was when NBC employees, collaborated with various state governments and other stakeholders to plant trees, as was witnessed during the 2017 World Environment Day”, she said.
It would be recalled that NBC was incorporated in 1951 and is the bedrock of global bottlers, Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company. Over the last 65 years, NBC has established itself as a key player in the Nigerian non-alcoholic beverage industry and remains strong and committed to manufacturing, marketing and distributing market leading Coca-Cola brands. The Company is making huge investments to drive world-class operations to better satisfy its customers and consumers, while adding value to its stakeholders.
Business
SMEs Dev: Firms Launch N100m Loan Scheme
The facility will be disbursed through participating Microfinance Institutions (MFIs), which will in turn extend the loans to their customers, particularly SMEs, as they directly interface with businesses at the grassroots level.
The Executive Director of COMCIN, Mr. Micheal Ogbaa who represented the Chairman, Dr. Iredele Oyedele (FCA, FCCA), said the initiative is designed to strengthen micro-lending institutions and expand access to finance for grassroots entrepreneurs, particularly women and youths in the informal sector.
Ogbaa explained that COMCIN does not lend directly to individuals but works through its network of microfinance and cooperative institutions, which in turn provide loans to end users.
“We came together to advocate for the microfinance ecosystem. Commercial banks often exclude people at the grassroots, but our members are positioned to reach them. This facility will empower them to do more,” he said.
He noted that the loan scheme offers low interest rates and flexible repayment plans, making it more accessible to small business owners.
According to him, about 90 percent of beneficiaries are expected to be women, who play a key role in sustaining families and driving economic activities at the local level.
“Our focus is on traders, service providers, and players in the informal sector. These are the real movers of the economy. By supporting them, we are strengthening families and contributing to national development,” he added.
Ogbaa disclosed that eligible SMEs with proven integrity and business track records could access up to N5 million each through participating micro-lending institutions. The rollout has commenced in Lagos and will extend to Abuja, Enugu, and other regions, including the South-West, South-East, and North-East.
He said 12 micro-lending institutions have already benefited from the scheme, while 85 applications are currently being processed under the pilot phase.
“Our target is to reach at least 100,000 SMEs nationwide. We are building a platform that connects funding partners with credible micro-lending institutions, creating a reliable channel for financial inclusion,” Ogbaa said.
He added that COMCIN is also working to attract larger funding pools from development finance institutions and private investors, noting that successful implementation of the pilot phase would boost confidence and unlock more capital for SMEs.
“We have seen encouraging testimonies from early beneficiaries. As we demonstrate transparency and efficiency, more institutions will be willing to channel funds through us,” he said.
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