The Future Project, organizers of the continent’s biggest youth awards event, The Future Awards Africa, has launched a series of community and media activities running from March through May, 2019 in preparation for this year’s edition of the event.

The tour which is set to cover Lagos, Ogun, and Oyo states provide a platform for recent winners to share their stories and also give back to the community through career guidance and mentoring to young people.

“There are no shortcuts to anywhere worth going, so Nigerian youth will basically have to shape their future and the direction of our nation. I am delighted to see our alumni tell inspiring stories to everyone who needs to hear them,” said Bukonla Adebakin, Chief Operating Officer, The Future Project. “It really is an exciting time for us as we highlight our incredible plans for this year and for the secondary school students.”

The Future Awards Africa alumni visited media stakeholders such as Cool & Wazobia FM, Nigeria Info, Kiss FM and Wazobia Max in Lagos, including a tour of secondary schools such as Community Senior Grammar School, Surulere, Lagos; Supreme Education Foundation, Magodo, Lagos; British International School, Victoria Island, Lagos; Fountain Heights College, Surulere, Lagos; Taidob College, Ogun, and George and Duke School, Oyo.

“At British International School, we strive to ensure our students are equipped with all the tools they need to make informed decisions about their future. We were delighted to host alumni of The Future Awards Africa as it was a great opportunity for our students to listen to role models in different disciplines,” said Pauline Tomlin, Director, Faculty for Communications, British International School, Lagos.

Award alumni who joined the tour include Tosin ‘Style Infidel’ Ogundadegbe, Winner, The Future Awards Africa Prize in Fashion 2018; Olive Emodi, Winner, The Future Awards Africa Prize in On-Air Personality (TV) 2018; Emmanuel Oyeleke, Winner, The Future Awards Africa Prize in Photography 2018, and Ken Nwadiogbu, Nominee, The Future Awards Africa Prize in Creativity 2018.

Others are Folu Storms, Winner, The Future Awards Africa Prize for On-Air Personality (Radio) 2018; Hauwa Ojeifo, Nominee, The Future Awards Africa Prize for Advocacy 2018; Harry Itie, Nominee, The Future Awards Africa Prize for Journalism 2017; Tiwalola Olanubi, Nominee, The Future Awards Africa Prize for New Media 2017, and Vanessa Onwughalu, Nominee, The Future Awards Africa Prize for Beauty 2017.

Access Bank Plc., in collaboration with The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Fifth Chukker yesterday announced plans for this year’s Charity Shield Polo tournament while highlighting their commitment to leverage on it to promote the development of Nigerian children.

Often described as the grandest charity event in Nigeria and perhaps on the African continent, this year’s edition will hold from June 6 – 15, 2019 and it will have an expanded format which will see it featuring an array of international stars from across the world.

The event will feature 20 teams vying for 4 trophies, an uptick from the 15 which participated in last year’s tournament.

The Executive Director, Retail Banking, Access Bank Plc, Victor Etuokwu, said the financial institution has been involved in advancing the education of children through its polo charity event for over 10 years.

He acknowledged the support of UNICEF and Fifth Chukker in ensuring the Bank’s dream for children are realized adding that the Access Bank will by July complete its latest school building project which will cater to over 1,200 students.

“For over 10 years, Access Bank has been using polo charity events to drive educational advancements in the Northern part of Nigeria. This year, we are taking it a step further as we want to give children in that region an early start, which we hope will revitalize the educational system in the locations of focus, and give the children a chance for a better tomorrow.

“In Kaduna, we are facilitating the building of a new school which will have 60 classroom blocks and accommodate over 1,200 children. Once this is completed at the end of July, we would expand our impact to other states and consequently other regions. We are happy that we are not working alone, as we have the full support of UNICEF and Fifth Chukker and hope other banks can join us in our crusade,” he said.

Polo & Equestrian General Manager of Fifth Chukker, Barbara Zingg said that this year’s event will feature a special Children’s Day programs which will include riding lessons for 200 children, 150 of which will be underprivileged children selected by UNICEF. She also disclosed that cuisines from countries across West Africa, East Africa and Mexico will be featured as part of the cultural exchange program included in this year’s event.

Access Bank has over the years, through various schemes and projects, showcased its commitment to being more than banking. This was highlighted by the Group head, Corporate Communications, Access Bank Plc., Amaechi Okobi, who spoke on the essence of the polo charity event, saying, “Access Bank is very interested in giving back. We are well aware of the importance of children and what catering to them will do for the future of our country. So, as often as we can, through the support of organisations like UNICEF, Fifth Chukker and the media, we will continue to let Nigeria and the world know that Nigerian children and their education will not be ignored”.

This year’s event will seek to build on the successes of previous editions. So far, more than N1billion has been raised for underprivileged children in Northern Nigeria through the charity event, and this has widely been hailed as a huge step for a change in narrative for a region otherwise known for violence.

Peak Milk, Nigeria’s supreme dairy brand has begun a crusade on the importance of a healthy breakfast – and why it is the ideal tool enabling your day to start and end well. The campaign is aimed at creating a counterculture through series of experiential and media-led activities which reinforces the breakfast custom.

As a part of awareness campaign and build up to 2019 World Milk Day on the 1^st of June, the flagship product from dairy giant, FrieslandCampina WAMCO stormed key cities in Lagos, Edo, Enugu, Anambra, Abuja, and Oyo states, where children were surprised and served with sumptuous breakfast banquets during the Children’s Day parades across the country.

In a statement to the media about the campaign, Marketing Manager for Peak Milk, Maureen Ifada said, “A lot of working-class Nigerians do not bother about having breakfast and most of those who do often do not find the time. Therefore, in our steadfastness to supporting Nigerians to be unstoppable, our brand is committed to cultivating a breakfast tradition which sets the tone of your day, from start to finish.”

Also, as a tribute to the local dairy farmers whose raw milk is purchased and used in the production of Peak Milk, executives from FrieslandCampina WAMCO and Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN) visited and served breakfast to dairy farmers and pastoralists in Iseyin and neighbouring communities in Oyo state. Being pioneers of the Dairy Development Programme (DDP) in Nigeria, the Peak Brand prides itself as a product being sourced through an initiative which emphasises gender inclusion and is significantly improving food and nutrition security in the country.

According to Ifada, by choosing a balanced breakfast, people can get off to the right start and fill-in the gaps likely to be missing in their diet. “Milk is a perfect breakfast complement, as it remains one of the richest natural sources of vitamins and minerals; enhancing growth and development of mental and physical performance. So, enjoy a Peak breakfast today – your guaranteed enabler to start well and end well,” Ifada concluded.

Access Bank’s Group Managing Director, Herbert Wigwe, reiterated his belief in the potentials of young Nigerians and their important role in the socio-economic growth of the country, as he celebrated the Children’s Day with the students of Girls Secondary Grammar School, Ikoyi, Lagos yesterday, 27 May, 2019.

 Speaking during the visit, Mr. Wigwe shared several successful tips built on integrity, honesty, hard work, self-love, family, perseverance, developing a savings culture, even as he encouraged them to adopt the values of discipline and hard work in all their endeavours.

 “You cannot achieve success without hard work and excellence. In everything you do, be ready to go the extra mile. The biggest mistake anyone can make is to relent on one’s dream because of the fear that it is too difficult. Focus on the joy in every activity, don’t let your present circumstances ever determine your future. Don’t let anyone tell you your dreams are too big to be achieved. Beware of friends and peer groups that tell you to take shortcuts, because shortcuts always end in regrets,” he said.

 He further explained the importance of imbibing good saving habits, stating that was a necessary skill that would help them achieve their goals.

 “Many of the business leaders that we celebrate in Nigeria and all over the world started off by building a strong saving culture. Learning to save is one of the key things that young people need to imbibe, as it will help prepare you for important periods in your life and help you in starting up any business or career you choose.”

 He also joined the students in some interesting activities, as they gathered around him for a selfie photograph, which he promised to cherish always. 

 A highlight of the event was the interactive session between the Access Bank CEO and the students. Discussing with a student who explained that the school needed instructional facilities, Herbert Wigwe made a commitment to refurbish the school’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) laboratory.

Leading financial institution, Access Bank Plc., in collaboration with the Africa Fintech Foundry (AFF), highlighted the importance of digital innovation and strategic partnerships among stakeholders in the financial sector, as the bank hosted industry experts and tech enthusiasts to the third edition of AFF Disrupt Conference on Thursday, 16 May, 2019 at the Landmark Event Centre, Victoria Island.

Themed ‘Digital Goldrush: Building a Sustainable Tech Economy’, the conference showcased the growing value of data as the future currency of the new tech economy through loads of interactive, fun and engaging sessions, world-class speakers and a phenomenal array of exhibitors who are industry and thought leaders in the technology space.

Giving his opening speech, the Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc., Herbert Wigwe recognized the improvement in global financial processes by advancements in technology and assured that the Bank is keeping up with the trends.

“There was a time when payments could only be made through cheques, but with technology, transactions worth billions can be made in seconds. That is how much the world has changed. As a result, Access Bank has continued to innovate through the creation and adoption of modern banking tools and by leveraging on partnerships with FinTechs such as AFF to reinvent and modernize our banking processes,” he said.

A highlight of the conference was the demo pitch session which saw various innovators showcase their applications and new technology, explaining the solutions created to teeming participants. At the end of an intense session, Gricd, whose product, GRICD Frij is an affordable and portable cold chain device for efficient storage of vaccines, blood and other health/agricultural products won, earning a grant of $10,000.

In his keynote address, the Chief Executive Officer of Moven, United Kingdom, Brett King emphasized the importance of technology adoption to banking processes and also addressed the growing fear of robots replacing humans in the banking halls.

He explained that banking no longer depended on physical spaces, which has reduced the friction in banking processes and massively increased delivery.

“Technology is moving faster than ever before and in an environment with such rapid change, you either disrupt or get disrupted. Hence, if you are resistant to change as a banker in an evolving ecosystem like Nigeria’s, we need to start helping you look for a job outside banking,” he said.

At the conference, speakers and panelists identified women as key proponents to ensure the growth and success of financial technology in Nigeria, urging them to be more collaborative and assertive in seeking to disrupt the Nigerian digital space.

Emphasizing the point, the Chairman, Zinox Group Nigeria, Leo Stan Ekeh, during an interactive session with Access Bank’s Deputy Group Managing Director, Roosevelt Ogbonna said, “Women are the smartest money makers and disruptors. Investors are looking to invest in female entrepreneurs and techpreneurs working together. So it has become more imperative that women begin to take advantage of these opportunities and the collective power that they have”.

Other speakers at the event include Bunmi Akinyemiju, Chief Executive Officer, Venture Garden Group; Boye Ademola, Partner and Lead for Digital Transformation, KPMG, Nigeria; Phil Spencer, Executive Vice-President, Gaming, Microsoft, United States of America; Reginald Kawarusa, Executive Commisioner: Legal and Enforcement, Securities and Exchange Commision; Sam Okojere, Director of Payments and Settlements, Central Bank of Nigeria; Funke Opeke, Chief Executive Officer, MainOne; Segun Aina, President, Fintech Association of Nigeria, among others.