By Dipo Olowookere
No fewer than 200 children from underserved communities in Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda will enjoy educational scholarships from Zoho as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative.
This information was revealed by the Country Head for Zoho Nigeria, Mr Kehinde Ogundare, during a chat with journalists in Lagos on Thursday.
“To serve the community, we are supporting the education of children and also undertaking sustainability initiatives,” Mr Ogundare declared at the event.
He said the global technology company, which grew by 31 per cent last year in Nigeria, has partnered with Bridge International Academies for the scholarship scheme.
According to him, Zoho will sponsor school uniforms, fees for four terms, and other essential items for students attending Bridge International Academies.
Explaining the choice of Bridge International Academies for the programme, Mr Ogundare said it was purely because the institution has a presence in its key markets and the school’s vision aligns with Zoho.
“As we continue to grow our presence in Africa, our focus is on ensuring that our expansion positively impacts the local economy, communities, and the broader business ecosystem.
“This approach aligns with our transnational localism strategy, which emphasises being rooted in local markets while staying globally connected.
“To support this, we are committed to hiring local talent, strengthening our partner network, and creating products tailored to the local market,” he said.
In her remarks, the Managing Director of Bridge International Academies for Nigeria, Ms Foyinsola Akinjayeju, expressed her delight with the partnership with Zoho, saying “Our shared commitment to delivering meaningful value is at the heart of what unites us.”
She further said, “Every child has the right to education, yet many children from underprivileged backgrounds face significant barriers to accessing quality learning opportunities. That’s why we are committed to transforming the lives of millions of children in underserved communities by delivering life-changing education.
“Through strategic partnerships, we aim to bridge this gap by providing vital resources and high-quality education to the students we serve.”
Giving highlights of the performance of Zoho in the last year, Mr Ogundare attributed the success to the widespread adaptation of the company’s flagship products, including Zoho Workplace, Zoho Books, Zoho Desk, Zoho CRM, and Zoho One.
He said these products have played a crucial role in optimising business operations, improving customer experience, and enhancing efficiency. Zoho’s success in the Nigerian region is driven by key sectors such as financial services, energy, real estate and construction, IT hardware & IT related services, professional services (non-IT), utilities and resources, and retail.
He also disclosed that Zoho is recycling the billboards of its out-of-home ads and turning them into bags. Over 500 flexes from Nigeria and 1300+ in Kenya have been recycled so far.
“At Zoho, we believe that our growth should go hand in hand with the success of our customers, partners, employees, and the communities we are part of. In Nigeria, we embrace this same philosophy by hiring locally, expanding our partner network, and offering affordable technology tailored to meet local needs.
“For the community, we have been investing in youth upskilling initiatives and are now extending support to children’s education. We are also committed to strengthening our sustainability efforts, including expanding our recycling programmes, such as flex recycling,” Mr Ogundare stated.
Modupe Gbadeyanka