By Chinonye Anyatonwu
SIFAX Group which is into Maritime, Aviation, Logistics, Oil & Gas, Financial Services and Hospitality last year expended the sum of N250 million on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes in the country.
This was disclosed by the Group’s Executive Vice Chairman, Dr. Taiwo
Afolabi in Lagos.
According to Afolabi, the company’s CSR was focused on education, health, economic empowerment and the physically challenged.
“On education and health, hundreds of indigent students enjoyed full scholarship while equipment and facilities were donated to public education and health institutions.
Individuals with medical emergencies also received financial support”,
Dr. Afolabi highlighted,
in a statement issued by Muyiwa Akande, the Corporate Affairs Manager.
“Youth and women economic empowerment also took a large chunk of the budget with skill acquisition training organized for unemployed youths and women across the country. Business grants were also extended to those who completed the training programmes.
“Some targeted and disadvantaged poor households were also catered to as food items were donated to them on a monthly basis.
“Various initiatives targeted at the physically-challenged children living with conditions like autism, down syndrome and the blind were also supported by the company in the course of the year.
“Most of these projects were executed through its philanthropic arm, Ajoke Ayisat Afolabi Foundation (AAAF) which has offices in Lagos, Zaria and Umuahia”.
Afolabi added that one of the key pillars of the company’s business philosophy was to positively impact humanity and society in any economy where the company carries out its operations.
On her own part, the Executive Coordinator, AAAF, Foluke Ademokun, noted that the beneficiaries of the various programmes are making a judicious use of the opportunities, adding that the Foundation seeks to partner with more sponsors, both domestic and international, as well as other stakeholders, in order to touch more lives
According to Afolabi, : “Right from inception of our company in 1988, we have 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 that provide access to opportunities, engender social stability and economic prosperity.
We are motivated to do more when we see the physical impact of these CSR projects on the beneficiaries who today run into thousands”.
