By Dipo Olowookere
Leading Pension Fund Administrator (PFA) in Nigeria, Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Limited, a subsidiary of Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, in furtherance of its commitment to corporate social investment (CSI) and environmental sustainability, has commissioned three blocks of sanitary facilities it renovated at the Nigerian Prisons Training School, Kaduna.
These facilities are expected to uplift the health and living conditions of personnel of the Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS).
The renovated sanitary facilities, which will enable its beneficiaries maintain better standard of living and sanitary condition and hopefully lead to healthier and more humane lives, was commissioned on Thursday July 13, 2017 by the Controller General of the Nigerian Prisons Service, Ahmed Ja’afaru, who was represented by the Zonal Coordinator Zone B, NPS Kaduna, Assistant Controller General, Musa Mayaki.
The PFA said the project, which is line with the Stanbic IBTC Group’s CSI focus areas, falls under the health pillar, others being education and economic empowerment. Its decision to renovate the toilet facilities is part of a business strategy to support the wellbeing of the people and communities where it operates. A celebratory mood enveloped the community following the commissioning of the project.
Ja’afaru expressed appreciation to Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers for recognizing the need to invest in a correctional facility which is not common among corporate organisations. He noted that a prison service is a full-fledged community in the security-maintenance architecture with the relevant personnel, their families and inmates, all constituting part of the larger society. He said the project would bring great relief to the personnel and trainees as the community hitherto had to make do with less than fitting sanitary facilities.
“The successful execution of this project is immensely useful to the cadets and officers as clean and satisfactory sanitary facilities means better disposal of human waste, reduced chances of disease outbreak and better living condition,” he stressed.
In his remarks, Executive Director, Investments, Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Limited, Mr. Oladele Sotubo, said the execution of the project was in recognition of the fundamental importance of the right of every human to have access to decent sanitary facility and living condition. The PFA, he said, clearly understands the interconnection between good health and good sanitation in ensuring a healthy populace and overall wellbeing of the people.
“This project is an integral part of Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers’ corporate social investment initiatives, which is anchored on our strong belief in adding value to the communities where we operate. We understand the difficult conditions that often results from lack of access to amenities, the deplorable state even where available and we will continue to explore opportunities to provide support in this regard,” he said.
Sotubo said the model the PFA has used and that has worked for it overtime, is investing in projects it believes have the greatest impact, widest reach, and highest sustainability ratio. He identified other community development projects undertaken by Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers over the years to include the installation of water projects at NYSC Camp in Kubwa, Abuja, Police College in Kaduna and Calabar; donation of chairs to Police College, Ikeja; painting of administrative block of Kaduna Police College and the donation of crash helmets to motorcyclists in Lagos, Ado-Ekiti, Ibadan and Oshogbo, among other interventions.
Nike Bajomo, Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Limited’s Head of Business Development, said the project complements the efforts of government to provide requisite infrastructure to benefit communities across the country. “We are more than happy to do our part in building projects and amenities that address the needs of every cadre of society, in the same way that the core of our business is to ensure comfort in retirement,” she stated.
Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers is a subsidiary of Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, a member of Standard Bank Group, a full service financial services group with a clear focus on three main business pillars – Corporate and Investment Banking, Personal and Business Banking and Wealth Management. Stanbic IBTC belongs to the Standard Bank Group, the largest African financial institution by assets and earnings. It is rooted in Africa with strategic representation in 20 countries on the African continent. Standard Bank has been in operation for 154 years and is focused on building first-class, on-the-ground financial services institutions in chosen countries in Africa; and connecting selected emerging markets to Africa by applying sector expertise, particularly in natural resources, power and infrastructure.
