Oke-Ona United School and UBE Primary School Pasali Emerge Victorious in Nestlé for Healthier Kids 2024 Quiz Competition
AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM
SPONSORED BY: H&H
Nestlé Nigeria proudly announces the winners of the 2024 Nestlé for Healthier Kids (N4HK) Quiz Competition.
L-R Nestlé for Healthier Kids Desk officer, Ogun SUBEB, Adedeji Ayoade, President of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Ogun State Chapter, Prof. Smith Olusegun Onobanjo, Executive Chairman, Education Secretary, Abeokuta North LGEA, Chief Ayorinde Oluwole, Nestlé Nigeria’s Corporate Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainability Lead, Victoria Uwadoka, Ogun State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr. Femi Majekodunmi, Director, Social Mobilization Ogun State Universal Basic Education Board, Mr. Akinleye Abodunrin
Education officer, Abeokuta North LGEA, Prince Olufemi Olubiyi and the quiz winners at the Nestle for Healthier Kids Quiz Competition in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The prestigious title was awarded to Oke-Ona United School, Ilugun Elega, in Ogun State, and UBE Primary School Pasali in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). These exceptional students showcased their profound understanding of healthy nutrition, hydration, physical activity, and sustainability, which are the core pillars of the N4HK initiative.
The N4HK initiative, which aims to help 50 million children globally lead healthier lives by 2030, is Nestlé’s flagship program dedicated to fostering healthy habits from a young age.
In Nigeria, this initiative includes a school-based nutrition education and environmental sustainability program that equips children with the knowledge to make better decisions regarding their nutrition and the environment, promoting a healthier future.
The program benefits 35 schools: 20 in Ogun State, 10 in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and 5 in Lagos State. The Nutrition Quiz, incorporated as a crucial component of the N4HK program in Nigeria in 2020, is designed to enhance the recall and retention of the lessons learned by students.
Across Lagos, Ogun, and the FCT, 135 eager children competed for the title of 2024 N4HK quiz champion. This competition not only reinforces the lessons taught but ensures that children internalize the information in a memorable way.
At the Ogun State finals held in Abeokuta, Oke-Ona United School, Ilugun Elega, secured the first position, followed by St. Peters Primary School, Siun, in second place, and China Nigeria Friendship School Igbesa, Ado-Odo, Ota in third place.
In the FCT, UBE Primary School Pasali emerged victorious, with Science Primary School (SPS) Abaji taking second place and Science Primary School Kwali securing third.
All participating schools demonstrated remarkable understanding and dedication to the principles of healthy living.
Victoria Uwadoka, Corporate Communications, Public Affairs, and Sustainability Lead at Nestlé Nigeria, highlighted the significance of this initiative: “By focusing on children’s health and well-being, Nestlé for Healthier Kids aims to create a lasting positive impact on future generations. Equipping children with healthy habits early on can have profound effects on individuals, families, and communities.
We are incredibly proud of the students’ performance and their enthusiasm for learning about healthy living. I congratulate all the participants and extend heartfelt gratitude to our partners: the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board, Ogun State Universal Basic Education Board, FCT Universal Basic Education Board, Federal Ministry of Education, Federal Ministry of Health, Ogun State Ministry of Education, and Ogun State Ministry of Health for their invaluable support and collaboration.”
The schools of the prize winners will receive the following awards: a basketball court with player jerseys for first place, a desktop computer for second place, and a table tennis court with a complete kit for third place.
Dr. Femi Majekodunmi, Executive Chairman, Ogun State Universal Basic Education Board, commended the efforts of all involved: “As we gather to celebrate the grand finale of the 2024 Nestlé for Healthier Kids Quiz Competition, I want to acknowledge the dedication and hard work of our learners, teachers, and other stakeholders. Your tireless efforts have made a remarkable impact on the educational landscape of Ogun State. We recognise Nestlé’s unwavering commitment to education and their unrelenting support in creating a conducive learning environment for our learners.”
The Nestlé for Healthier Kids initiative aims to reach over 8,000 children annually in Nigeria, ensuring that today’s kids grow into healthy, informed adults. By catching them young, Nestlé is not just changing lives today but building a healthier, sustainable future for all.
LOTUS Bank Shines at Global Retail Banking Innovation Awards 2024 and BAFI Awards
AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM
SPONSORED BY: H&H
LOTUS Bank one of Nigeria’s fastest growing non-interest Bank has been awarded the Best Financial Inclusion Initiative and Debit Card of the Year at the Global Retail Banking Innovation Awards 2024 held in Singapore. Additionally, the bank has received the Ethical Banking Leadership Award of the Year at the BAFI Awards.
These accolades celebrate LOTUS Bank’s commitment to innovation in financial services and its dedication to ethical banking practices that prioritize the needs of all customers. LOTUS Bank true to its mission has 56 footprints all over Nigeria.
Mrs. Kafilat Araoye, the Managing Director, LOTUS Bank expressed pride in these achievements, stating, “We are honoured to receive these awards, which validate our efforts to make banking accessible for everyone. Our team’s dedication to developing products that cater to the needs of diverse communities drives our mission forward.”
“Winning the Ethical Leadership Award at the Businessday’s Banks and other Financial Institution Awards (BAFI) is particularly significant for us.
It underscores our commitment to transparency and integrity in all our operations. We believe that ethical banking is essential for sustainable growth, and we will continue to lead by example in the industry”, Araoye commented.
LOTUS Bank’s innovative approach to enhancing access to banking services for underserved communities were highlighted in the Best Financial Inclusion Initiative award.
The bank’s flagship debit card program has also been celebrated for its user-friendly features, aimed at empowering clients with greater control over their finances. It was the card used for onboarding athletes from all over Africa at the recent Federation of Africa students Games (FASU) and the Nigeria Medical Students Association Games (NIMSA) which LOTUS Bank sponsored recently, added Araoye.
LOTUS Bank is dedicated to fostering an inclusive financial ecosystem that aligns with its core values of integrity, innovation, and community empowerment. These recent accolades are a testament to the bank’s relentless pursuit of excellence and its commitment to making a positive impact in the financial sector.
About LOTUS Bank LOTUS Bank is a prominent non-interest financial institution in Nigeria focused on providing innovative banking solutions that promote financial inclusion and ethical practices. With a strong commitment to serving diverse communities, LOTUS Bank aims to transform the banking experience for its clients and contribute to sustainable economic growth.
Polaris Bank, Nigeria’s leading digital retail commercial bank, again at the weekend proved its digital dominance in the Nigerian banking industry, winning the most-coveted award as the best in digital banking and the entire ecosystem for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
At the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Awards (BAFI Awards), financial industry’s prestigious awards, Polaris Bank’s trailblazing digital banking platform, VULTe was adjudged the best as “Digital Bank of the Year”, for the fourth consecutive year.
Polaris Bank was also awarded “Best Bank for MSMEs of the Year”, for the third consecutive year, underlining the bank’s well-known competitive lending and general supports for small businesses and the real sector.
With the weekend awards, Polaris Bank retains a pride of place as the only Nigerian bank to have won the coveted awards for that long, underscoring the bank’s continuous investments in human and technological resources.
The BAFI Awards Selection and Review Committee stated that Polaris Bank outperformed industry peers in all key metrics, including strength of strategy for attracting and gaining digital customers, accelerated user engagement, success in getting clients to use digital offerings, growth of digital customers, platform functionality and security.
BAFI Awards is well-regarded for its empirical and data-driven selection process, a practice that makes the awards, one of the most prestigious independent awards for the Nigerian financial services industry.
Commenting on the award, Managing Directo/CEO, Polaris Bank, Mr. Kayode Lawal, said the continuing recognition of VULTe as best digital bank emphasises the user-friendly and multi-functional strengths of the digital platform.
He pointed out that Polaris Bank has seen tremendous market gain in digital transactions and lending with digital lending totaling more than N10 billion in the first eight months of this year, on course to surpass the N12.8 billion recorded for the whole of 2023.
He said the bank understands the importance of user-experience in online transactions and thus prioritises convenience and safety, with sustained investments in bespoke technologies.
“We are honoured to receive this prestigious award, recognising our commitment to the digital banking ecosystem. We understand clearly that this consecutive vote of confidence on our capability is a responsibility, and we are doing everything to remain on the cutting-edge of technology and services.
“We are sure ongoing strategic initiatives will not only sustain our leadership in digital banking and supports for real sector, but also deliver sustainable growth that will firmly entrench our digital leadership across the financial services industry,” Lawal said.
He commended the organisers of the BAFI Awards, BusinessDay, for their commitment to empirical process.
A full digital bank that provides fast, convenient, and reliable solutions to banking needs; some of VULTe’s unique features include: QR payments, end-to-end account opening, instant loan request, debit card request, issuance, and activation, without the customers leaving the comfort of their homes, offices or wherever they may be.
The platform does not just cater to Polaris Bank’s customers alone, but non-customers alike who can also download and enjoy banking services on VULTe. Another key feature is VULTe’s API Banking, which allows merchants and businesses to integrate VULTe with other business critical systems, enabling a portfolio of services including risk assessment, bank statement requests, lien accounts, direct debits and more.
With its all-in-one solution, VULTe not only caters to individual customers but also SMEs, high net worth and retail customers. It takes few minutes to access collateral-free personal and business loans that enables individuals and enterprises of customers.
Ecobank Nigeria, a key member of the leading pan-African banking group Ecobank Group, has partnered with Opolo Global to deliver training and empowerment to schools in Lagos as part of its annual Ecobank Day activities.
Some members of staff of Ecobank Nigeria, Opolo Global (partner) and Children of Zion Stars School, Lagos during the training on Artificial Intelligence and Robotics as part of the commemoration of Ecobank Day 2024.
This flagship social initiative, spearheaded by the Ecobank Foundation, encourages employees to give back to their communities.
The 2024 event, themed “Ignite Learning with AI,” focused on foundational learning and harnessing Artificial Intelligence to improve children’s literacy, numeracy, and digital skills, particularly at Zion Star School in Lagos.Oluwafemi Ajayi, Head of Product Development and Lagos Operations at Opolo Global, praised Ecobank for its initiative to educate students about artificial intelligence and robotics, which are vital for the future.
He highlighted that this training equips children to navigate the digital age and underscores the transformative potential of AI in education, business efficiency, and decision-making.“We will expand this initiative to several schools across the state, especially those located far from the city center and serving a higher number of underprivileged students,” he stated.For Ecobank, “equipping Nigerian children with essential literacy, numeracy, and digital skills at an early age is crucial for their future.
It enables them to excel academically, prepares them for a rapidly changing digital landscape, and broadens their opportunities in life and employment.”“Ecobank Day activities involved our employees volunteering in various communities across Nigeria, offering literacy lessons, mentoring, and collaborating with schools to enhance digital resources.
We extend our gratitude to our partner, Opolo Global, for helping make this day impactful for Nigerian children,” they added.
These training and mentoring initiatives align with the second year of Ecobank’s three-year campaign, ‘Transforming Africa Through Education,’ and support the African Union’s declaration of 2024 as the Year of Education, themed ‘Educate and Skill Africa for the 21st Century,’ emphasizing the need to integrate technology into foundational education.Since its launch in 2013, Ecobank Day has initiated crucial interventions and supported various social causes, including education for youth in Africa, malaria prevention, improving ICT in schools, and promoting financial literacy, among others..