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Coca-Cola’s Catalyst For Change 2.0 Drives Women Empowerment in Lagos, Empowers 1062

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L-R: Olubukola Bamiduro, Founder, Karis and Eleos Hand of Hope Foundation; Femi Bamiduro, Chairman, Karis and Eleos Foundation; Nwamaka Onyemelukwe, Director, Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability, Coca-Cola Nigeria; Frank Alarapon, Head, Retail Segments, Wema Bank at the closing ceremony of the 4th series of the Catalyst for Change 2.0 initiative at the Onigbongbo Community, Lagos, May 11th, 2022.

The community of Onigbongbo, Lagos, was in a joyous mood on Wednesday, May 18, as 1062 women were equipped with transformative skills through the Coca-Cola Foundation-funded women empowerment initiative, Catalyst for Change 2.0, to enhance their economic standards and quality of life for themselves and their families.

The graduation ceremony, held at the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Maryland, marked the conclusion of another edition of the initiative in Lagos, bringing the total number of empowered communities in Lagos to 9 out of 10.

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Catalyst for Change 2.0 is one of Coca Cola’s several women empowerment and youth development initiatives, and has delivered economic empowerment to a total of 9,062 women through vocational skills such as pastry making, shoemaking, fashion designing, makeup artistry, wig making, tie and dye, household essentials and bag making.

Participants in financial literacy and business management classes learned about bookkeeping, personal and product branding, social media management, and customer relationship management.

READ ALSO: Edo: IOM, Laliga Hold Football Tournament To Sensitise Young Girls On Dangers Of Irregular Migration

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Speaking at the ceremony, Nwamaka Onyemelukwe, Director, Public Affairs, Communications, and Sustainability, Coca-Cola Nigeria, commended the beneficiaries and challenged them to continue using the skills gained through the program.

I am heartened by the great achievements of previous participants of this program. When women work, economies thrive, and women empowerment increases productivity. The sponsorship of this project is in line with our Africa sustainability platform JAMII focused on wealth creation for women and youths. The system is thrilled about the outcomes and impact stories, and I anticipate that this batch of beneficiaries will attain a better degree of achievement,” she said.

The goal of this initiative, according to Onyemelukwe, is to constantly lower the number of disadvantaged women in the society and integrate them into a growth trajectory that generates value for their families and society.

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She added that the recycling knowledge garnered from the training should be capitalized on by the beneficiaries as a supplementary source of income while ensuring community sanitation.

“The Waste to Wealth initiative is one of Coca-Cola’s numerous recycling projects aimed at promoting recycling by collecting PET waste and converting it to monetary value or food items. This practice is a source of value and additional revenue for women who own businesses or work in the corporate sector. I encourage everyone to take advantage of this opportunity to promote financial inclusion in our society.’’

On her part, Bukola Bamiduro, founder, Karis and Eleos Hand of Hope Foundation, the programme implementing partner, advised the beneficiaries to continuously create value in their communities through the application and transmission of knowledge while uplifting themselves, thereby leading to the formation of a cycle of trans-generational businesses.

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She thanked the Coca-Cola Foundation for financially supporting the project and Wema Bank for the financial opportunities offered to the beneficiaries to ensure a better standard of living.

Amaka Igboaziahia, an outstanding alumna of the Catalyst for Change 2.0 in the Surulere community, recounted her experiences during the occasion.

Igboahazia, who now runs an Ottoman upholstery business as well as a confectionery startup, urged the programme’s participants to make the best use of the tools and skills they gained.

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Rather than sitting passively at home, employ these skills you have gained to construct a better life for yourselves,” she said. I understood what I wanted out of the program from the first day, and I continually enhanced my efforts toward launching my business,” she said.

READ ALSO: Rotary E-Club of Greater Nigeria, Rotary Satellite E-Club Of Canada One Empower People In S’West, Kwara

Also speaking, Adeyemi Adebimpe, a beneficiary from the Onigbongbo community, also conveyed her appreciation to the Coca-Cola Foundation and the Karis and Eleos Foundation for the opportunity.

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“I am grateful to both foundations for this life-changing experience, and I can’t wait to start my business with all I’ve learnt. Being a part of this program has transformed my perspective on being self-sufficient, and I intend to pass this information on to other women in my life,” she stated.

Chinyere Nwigwe, another programme beneficiary, expressed confidence in her ability to account for her funds while running her shoe making and fashion designing businesses as a result of the business lessons she took during the program.

So far, a total of 1,800 women have received start up kits/seed capital to start businesses out of the 9,000 women who have participated in the program.

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About Coca-Cola Nigeria
Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited is a total beverage company, offering one of the world’s most valuable brands, Coca-Cola. Our company portfolio includes valuable beverage brands, such as Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite, 5Alive juices, Eva water, Schweppes and Limca. We’re constantly transforming our portfolio, from reducing sugar in our drinks to bringing innovative new products to market.

 

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APC Now Mourns Buhari After Blaming Him For Failures—ADC

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African Democratic Congress, ADC, has accused APC and the federal government of hypocrisy over their sudden display of grief, following the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The ADC said the ruling party, which had spent the last two years blaming Buhari for Nigeria’s challenges, was now seeking to portray itself as the chief mourner.

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In a statement signed by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC’s Interim National Publicity Secretary and spokesperson for the opposition coalition, the party reaffirmed its declaration of a three-day mourning period across all its chapters and structures, beginning today.

READ ALSO:Why I Support ADC’s Coalition But Remain In PDP — Lamido

’During this period, the ADC will suspend all political activities and public statements in honour of Buhari’s contributions to the country.

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“Regardless of political affiliations, what cannot be denied is that President Buhari served this country with a fierce sense of duty, personal discipline, and conviction,” the statement read.

The party also highlighted Buhari’s popularity among ordinary Nigerians, especially the poor, who, it said, ‘stuck with him throughout his political sojourn and thereafter.’

READ ALSO:97 Lawyers Line Up To Defend ADC, Mark, Aregbesola Against APC’s ‘Fake Lawsuit’

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However, the ADC expressed disappointment over what it called APC’s sudden shift in tone, saying “we note with regrets that his own political party and the government, which had done everything in the last two years to tarnish his records, dismantle his legacies, and blame him for every one of their failings, are now posturing as the chief mourners at his burial.’’

The party described this behaviour as ‘sheer hypocrisy’ and a ‘brazen move to harvest political gains from a national tragedy.’

It further urged Buhari’s family and loyalists to be cautious of what it called political opportunism during this mourning period, and encouraged Nigerians to reflect on Buhari’s enduring qualities.

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Let his memory be a mirror that reflects the personal ethics we must continue to demand from leadership for generations to come,” Abdullahi added.
(VANGUARD)

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Why I Support ADC’s Coalition But Remain In PDP — Lamido

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Former Jigawa State governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, has said while his support for the Senator David Mark-led adopted party, African Democratic Congress, ADC, remained, his loyalty to Peoples Democratic Party PDP, was unquestionable.

This came on a day African Democratic Congress, ADC, accused the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the federal government of hypocrisy over their sudden display of grief, following the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

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Lamido spoke to a crowd of his loyalists at an empowerment event organised by Senator Mustapha Khabeeb (PDP, Jigawa South West), in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital, over the weekend.

The former governor, who is one of the founding fathers of the PDP, said the coalition of opposition parties was put together to salvage Nigerians from the misrule of the ruling All Progressives Congress in order to rebuild Nigeria.

READ ALSO: ADC Unveiled In Benue, Woo Gov Alia

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Lamido said: “Yes, I support the coming together of the opposition under the ADC, but let it be known I will never leave the PDP. I built this house with my sweat and soul. My role now is to offer guidance and ensure Nigeria finds her way back.”

He blasted the APC-led administration at both the state and federal levels for failing the people in every sphere of governance.

The three PDP federal lawmakers from Jigawa are serving the people. APC lawmakers? They’re serving only themselves. Let the people judge.” He declared.

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In a symbolic gesture to signal unity among opposition parties in the state, Lamido introduced Kabiru Hussaini, the state ADC chairman to the PDP crowd.

Senator Mustapha Khabeeb, the host of the event, echoed Lamido’s sentiments, reminding the audience of the PDP’s legacy of progress, especially during Lamido’s time as governor.

He said: “From 1999 to 2015, and especially under Sule Lamido, Jigawa knew what development looked like—roads, schools, hospitals, real change. What do we have now? APC has brought nothing but hunger and hopelessness.”

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Khabeeb equally showcased his efforts to continue the PDP legacy through massive empowerment drives.

According to him, this year alone, over 3,000 people were lifted by distribution of equipment, including 600 irrigation machines,100 solar-powered irrigation units,100 paddy rice threshers, sewing and grinding machines and 750 sprayers and 3,000 litres of herbicide

We’re not waiting for miracles, we’re working. Just like we did last year, and in 2023, we’re lifting our people out of poverty one tool, one machine at a time.

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“Compare for yourself—under PDP and Lamido, there was progress. Under APC? Na talauci kawai suka kawo (they only brought poverty),’’ the lawmaker said.

The rally ended with chants of PDP solidarity, as supporters vowed to defend the party’s legacy and prepare for what many are calling a grand opposition comeback in 2027.
(VANGUARD)

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SEC Raises Alarm Over Forsman & Bodenforms, Warns Investors

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The Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, yesterday, has warned the investing public over the activities of Forsman & Bodenforms Limited, saying the firm is not registered to operate in the capital market or to solicit for funds from the public.

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The SEC, disclosed this on its website, stressing that its attention has been drawn to the activities of Forsman & Bodenforms Limited, which has been promoting its services in the social media.

The commission said: “The attention of the Securities and Exchange Commission has been drawn to the activities of Forsman & Bodenfors Ltd also known as F&B, which is paraded by its promoters as the Nigerian Branch of a Swedish advertising company bearing that name with obvious criminal intent. The promoters of this fraudulent Nigerian entity go about promising Nigerians automatic employment in the company as compensation for recruiting more members who are lured to pay various sums of money for various positions in the company.”

READ ALSO:What May Change As Lagos Tenancy Bill Passes Second Reading

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The commission noted that preliminary investigations reveal that Forsman & Bodenfors Ltd has been actively promoted on social media platforms and online forums, adding that its operations exhibit the typical indicators of a fraudulent (Ponzi) scheme.

The Commission hereby informs the public that Forsman & Bodenfors Ltd is not registered by the Commission nor authorized to solicit funds from the public or to operate in any capacity in the Nigerian capital market.

“Accordingly, the public is advised to refrain from engaging with Forsman & Bodenfors Ltd or its representatives in respect of any business in the Nigerian capital market, as the potential risk of losing funds to the fraudulent promoters of the entity is very high.

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“The investing public is further advised to verify the status of companies and entities offering investment opportunities on the Commission’s dedicated portal – http://www.sec.gov.ng/cmos, before transacting with them”.

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