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Whitefield Foundation Empowers Over 20,000 Women and Youths

by Women Times on

I

Whitefield Foundation, the financial inclusion of Coca Cola Nigeria limited has sponsored over 20,000 Women and Youths

The initiative is part of the company’s effort to improve and support the livelihood of young Nigerians following the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic which hit in 2020. The SIP program, which held virtually over the course of one year, was targeted at helping youth and women younger than 45 years of age across Nigeria.

Present at the closing ceremony were key dignitaries including the Chairman of Yaba LCDA, Hon. Kayode Omiyale; Vice-Chairman Yaba LCDA, Hon. Alhaji Bolanle Aileru; Whitefield Foundation Trustee, Dr. Oladoyin Sagoe; Founder of Whitefield Foundation, Olufunmilola Johnson; Director Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, Nwamaka Onyemelukwe; Senior Manager, Social Impact Strategy for Africa Operating Unit, Coca-Cola, Uche Ogbonna; and Chairman of Agriculture & Agro-Allied Group, Africanfarmer Mogaji.

In his opening speech, Vice-Chairman, Yaba LCDA, Hon. Alhaji Bolanle Aileru, who represented the Chairman remarked, “I applaud Coca-Cola and Whitefield Foundation for filling a gap in our community by engaging our youths and women. It is evident that partnerships and collaborations fuel outstanding results”. He also highlighted that the turnout from the communities was truly impressive and that Coca-Cola and Whitefield Foundation both exceeded expectations.

The closing ceremony featured the recognition of the individuals who had benefited from the program. Across the 36 states, people were trained and lectured in topics covering building a successful career, jobs of the future, business as a legal entity, customer service, funding your business, IT, the business of agriculture, catering, domestic essentials, and many more.

By the end of the program on April 16, 2021, participants had completed three different stages of courses comprising over 50 AudioVisual lessons which had over 1,000,000 page views on the website. The virtual training was taught by seasoned facilitators in their respective fields.

Speaking at the event, Director, Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, Nwamaka Onyemelukwe explained, “At Coca-Cola, we are proud of the remarkable achievements of this program. As a company, we understand that 2020 was a challenging year for everyone, but it taught us innovation and opened our hearts to more acts of kindness to upscale what we do within our communities. We recognized that unemployment rates were on the rise with the poverty rates reaching a peak, and as a socially-responsible company focused on refreshing the world, we are also committed to making a difference in the lives of people and communities”.

A beneficiary from the training, Anu Oshilaja, founder of Annyz Fabric Bags, shared her life-changing story on the impact of the program and the funding she had received to further her business. As a token of her appreciation, she gifted beautifully hand-crafted bags to the women dignitaries at the event.

Founder, Whitefield Foundation, Olufunmilola Johnson, in her closing remarks stated, “We are excited by the success of The Special Intervention Program (SIP) and this initiative was born out of the need to help make more successful people who will grow our economy in Nigeria. We are focused on addressing seven UN Sustainable Development Goals covering no poverty, gender equality, zero hunger, quality education, partnerships, economic growth, and responsible consumption and production. We appreciate Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, who deemed us worthy of achieving this feat”. She thanked all stakeholders including the government officials, the facilitators of the classes, Coca-Cola executives, and the participants.

At the end of the event, 50 individuals were announced to receive N30,000 each to fund their business registration and start creating value for themselves. The ceremony ended with immense gratitude and joy from the beneficiaries who expressed their heartfelt gratitude to Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited as well as Whitefield Foundation for their support.

The SIP Program was part of Coca-Cola Nigeria’s COVID-19 Intervention following the impact of the pandemic on the Nigerian economy. This intervention saw the company fund several community-based initiatives focused on aiding the economic recovery of residents from the adverse effects of the pandemic.

Source: Marketing Edge Online

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Appointment

Coca-Cola Foundation Appoints Saadia Madsbjerg

by Women Times on
The Coca Cola Company has announced Saadia Madsbjerg to resume the office of the Vice President of Global Community Affairs for the Coca-Cola Foundation.
She’s expected to join the Company 1st of June as she will be managing the operations of the Foundation which includes Financial Requirements, Grants Making and Regulatory Compliance for Domestic and International Philanthropy.
According to the Chief Communications, Sustainability & Strategic Partnerships Officer at The Coca-Cola Company Bea Perez ” We are thrilled to have someone of her caliber and look forward Saadia building on the great history of the Coca-Cola Foundation.”
 Saadia Madsbjerg in her speech said:  “I’m thrilled to join The Coca-Cola Foundation, which has a built a remarkable legacy over a period of nearly 40 years through giving more than $1 billion to meaningful programs impacting communities worldwide. I look forward to working with the Foundation’s partners and grantees in Atlanta and around the world.”
Madsbjerg is a former managing director of The Rockefeller Foundation, where she led efforts to seed-fund the development and launch of new financial instruments and partnerships designed to channel money from capital markets toward sustainable development.
“Madsbjerg brings years of experience in corporate strategy and philanthropy, as well as in launching and leading sustainable, impact investing programs across public and private sectors to address challenges such as climate change, inequality and humanitarian crises.”
Before joining The Rockefeller Foundation, Madsbjerg was senior vice president for strategic planning at the New York City Economic Development Corp. She led a portfolio of projects focused on transformative opportunities for creating a more equitable and resilient economy.
Madsbjerg also previously worked in the technology sector at Cisco Systems, advising Fortune 500 companies and public sector institutions on how innovative technology could help create new business models and address critical challenges, such as social and economic challenges caused by an aging society.
Prior to Cisco, Madsbjerg was an associate principal at McKinsey & Co., where she advised multinational companies on corporate strategy.
She is also a co author of Making Money Moral, a book that tracks the growth of sustainable and impact investing and features first-hand stories of innovations unlocking private-sector capital to solve critical challenges of the 21st century.
Saadia Madsbjerg , bagged a bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Copenhagen Business School. She will be relocating to Atlanta from New York. Madsbjerg will report to Perez and succeeds Helen Price, who retired in 2020.
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AppointmentWomen & Business

Omobola Johnson Bags Guinness Board Chair

by Women Times on

Women are going places. Congratulations to Dr. Omobola Johnson as Guinness Nigeria appointed her as the Board Chair to replace Mr. Babatunde Savage, as he retires.

Dr. Omobola Johnson, the founder of WIMBIZ Women in Management, Business and Public Service and also the first Nigerian Minister of Communication & Technology is privileged to also serve the Guinness Nigeria Board with effect from the 1st of July 2021.
Mr Savage in his letter of retirement notification to the Board,in accordance with applicable corporation Governance regulation, commended the board for the opportunity to serve and to be a part of the wonderful Guinness Nigeria story over the last four decades.
He also appreciated the board of Guinness Nigeria and Diageo UK for the privilege to have served in many capacities, first as an employee who held various strategic senior roles, then as an Executive Director and later the Chair of the Board, a role he has held for twelve years of progress and eventful. ” After almost 40 amazing years, like every good thing, my journey with Guinness Nigeria is coming to an end and this is my time to exit this stage.” He said
Mr O’Keeffe who is also the Chair of the Nominations, Governance & Remunerations Committee on the appointment of Dr Omobola Johnson as Savage’s successor said ” We are pleased to have Dr Omobola Johnson as our incoming Board Chair, especially because of the value and insight she has brought since her appointment as an Independent Non-Executive Director and more recently as the Chair of the Finance, Audit & Risk Committee of the Board and member of the Nomination, Governance and Remuneration Committee in the last three years”
Dr Omobola Johnson being a serving member of the Guinness Nigeria Board has had over 30 years experience both in the private and Public sectors of the Nigerians Economy.
Commending on her appointment, the former Country Managing Director for Accenture currently Senior Partner of TLCom Capital, a technology Venture capital firm focused on Africa said” Guinness Nigeria an excellent company with tremendous amount of money value Creation opportunities, and maximizing shareholder value.”
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InterviewWomen of Substance

Wofai Fada, A Woman On The Rise

by Women Times on

Women are celebrated every day, however, the month of March provides a great opportunity to celebrate international women’s day and Mother’s day in the month so it was only right to sit with the one and only WofaiFada, the definition of funny, hard-working, and God-fearing.

 

Wofai explains the power of women and she personifies the characteristics of a woman who has demanded and achieved more from life because of her boldness. She is happy women are being invited to the table, and play part in decisions that have to do with the entertainment industry.

 

Wofai moved to Lagos five years ago with the dream of creating a name for herself all the way from Calabar. She moved in with a friend before she got a room in Surulere and now “I have a restaurant in Lekki close to the sea” (Wofai says at the top of her voice) which is where the shoot took place. The restaurant is called ‘Just Afang’ and Wofai’s love for food came from her family as she worked in her grandmother’s restaurant as a kid.

 

When asked on where she sees herself in five years. “I will leave that to God because I did not see myself coming this far and he got me here so I will leave it to him. But the goal is expansion and growth, I will want my restaurant in all corners of the world.”

 

Wofai’s advice to people is to enjoy the process be resilient and be patient in achieving your goals. “Social media makes it look like success comes overnight but it takes time and if you have someone that inspires you, learn from them and understand their journey.”

 

“Wofai is a dream chaser and she is reaping the benefit of her hard work and its motivating to hear her background story. The sky is just the starting point for her career ”said Colette Otusheso, Head, Accelerate TV.

 

To watch Wofai’s full interview with “The Cover”, CLICK HERE

 

The Cover magazine is a digital publication aimed at inspiring a youthful audience through well informed and in-depth interviews from people of interest.

 

Viewers can learn more about “The Cover” on Accelerate TV’s Website, Youtube Channel, Facebook and Instagram pages and share comments on social media using #acceleratecover #thecovermagazine. For previous editions of “The Cover” please visit www.acceleratetv.com.

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Appointment

Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe: Meet Fidelity Bank’s New CEO

by Women Times on

Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe is unquestionably the first female MD/CEO of Fidelity Bank since the bank began operations in 1988. However, it is also unquestionable that she has one of the finest professional profiles among its past CEOs.

Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe has over 30 years of banking experience and has occupied several significant positions in Standard Chartered Bank, Zenith Bank, and Citizens International Bank. Onyeali-Ikpe’s natural smarts and education have ensured that she flourish in every endeavour and sector of the Nigerian economy: from oil and gas, to manufacturing and exports, to aviation, and real estate.

Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka; and a Master of Laws (LLM) degree from the King’s College, London. Her management and corporate genius also come from her having attended different leadership training programmes at Harvard Business School, the Wharton School University of Pennsylvania, INSEAD School of Business, Chicago Booth School of Business, London Business School, etc.

With such a profile, not to mention her being the first female to handle the MD/CEO position at Fidelity Bank, Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe is the focus of every eye and ear inclined to banking and the Nigerian corporate jungle.

 

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EntrepreneurWomen of Substance

Hanatu Terry: The Female Carpenter Breaking Stereotypes In Nigeria

by Women Times on

Hanatu Terry is a single mother from north-central, Nigeria and a well-established carpenter in the capital Abuja. In Nigeria, both men and women struggle to do jobs that come their way in order to survive, although some jobs are perceived to be the preserve of men, while a few others are for women.

Carpentry is predominantly reserved for men, but the 30-year old has overcome all odds to have a place in this male dominated profession in Africa’s most populous nation.

“Actually, it wasn’t this kind of job I started with. I was into tailoring, however, a condition I encountered made me switch to carpentry. My family was not financially balanced then’’, Hanatu told our Nigerian correspondent, Michael Dibie.

She said as a child, she used to engage in some little carpentry work in the house, like making small stools. That was how Hanatu started.

“So any time you see her working, the passion and zeal she puts in her jobs truly brings the work and makes her exceptional,” site manager Emmanuel Ashita said.

Hanatu’s story was inspired by the fact that she wanted to do something daring due to the economic condition of her family.

The young female carpenter is well known in some localities in Abuja and in the neighboring state of Nasarawa, where she diligently exhibits her skill in carpentry, construction of benches, stools, tables, chairs and roofing of buildings.

“The way we joke, we talk, so I am always happy when I am around my colleagues,” Hanatu added.

 

https://www.africanews.com/2020/12/23/meet-hanatu-terry-the-female-carpenter-breaking-stereotypes-in-nigeria/?jwsource=cl

 

 

 

 

Credit: Africa News

 

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