In a bid to discover different investment opportunities in the food and beverages sector, GZ Industries opens West Africa’s first aluminium can manufacturing plant in Agbara Industrial Estate, Ogun State. The factory is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and is cooperating with Rexam, an international can equipment manufacturer listed on the London Stock Exchange, which acts as its technical partner and major provider of equipment and processes technology.

1. With the provision of over 150,000 feet landed property, the factory is competent to produce 600 million cans every year. Despite being the first of its kind, GZI is currently working on the extension of its factory to double its capacity. The ongoing development is expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2011, and it will produce long, slim cans for energy drinks,   along with the 33 content litres, cl, and 50 cl beverage cans that it is currently producing.

Bola Sorinola of GZI, said that the company intends to meet the demand of other West African countries providing Nigeria much needed foreign exchange. “Infrastructure to support this production has already been constructed as part of the initial phase 1 works, and land for this expansion is already earmarked within the current factory site,” he said.

 

Zain Empowers Pupils

Zain Nigeria donated lap desktop, a smaller version of desktop computer, to 114 public primary schools across the nation during the last Children’s Day on May 27. According to Zain, the exercise which is the company’s contribution to support primary school education,

is aimed at increasing learning and academic performances. The lap desktop is a colourful instructional board that productively presents key learning points for the pupils at foundation level: alphabets, shapes, basic colour chart, addition and subtraction as well as multiplication and division tables, animals and the Nigerian National Anthem.

Emeka Oparah, head, Public Relations and Corporate Social Responsibility Programme, Zain Nigeria, said the donation is a method of extending the frontier of its empowerment and community building programme in Nigeria to underprivileged primary school, because increasing academic performance is a major importance of the company’s corporate social responsibility programmes in the sector.

Adewale Adeogun, secretary for education, Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government authority, said Zain deserves applause for developing the standard of learning in primary schools. He added that he is happy to see smiles on the faces of head teachers and their pupils.

Oparah said that Zain is a major supporter of the education sector in Nigeria, and that the company is mindful of the impact of the lap desktop to the pupils’ psyche, so it resolved to make the donation to underprivileged primary schools. The donation is meant to showcase the brand philosophy of ‘A Wonderful World.’

 

GLO Connects Youths

In order to create a mutual relationship with its subscribers and numerous fans both locally and across the globe, Globacom Nigeria, has intensified efforts to connect and engage with youths through its pages on Facebook and YouTube. The Glo Facebook and YouTube page

pages is created in line with the positive inclinations of youths’ freshness, vibrancy and excitement, makes available up-to-date information about promotions and other activities going on within the company as well as photos and videos from the company’s events and sponsorships. The interactive Glo Facebook and YouTube pages provide Glo television commercial, videos of Glo G-Bam TV Show and the Glo Laffta Fest events.

Navdeep Kapur, head, Marketing, Globacom, explained that the Glo Facebook and YouTube pages are aimed at creating a forum for more interaction with subscribers in a fun, exciting and refreshing manner, provide opportunities for subscribers to make comments and share pictures, videos and information with friends. According to Kapur, visitors can also view several exciting episodes of the Glo G-Bam show that featured popular entertainers such as Basketmouth, D’Banj, Wande Coal, Djinee, I Go Dye, Eldee, Ego and Yaw.

 

NESTLE Awards Prize to Cambodia

The Creating Shared Value Advisory Board, Nestle, has awarded its first Prize in Creating Shared Value to the Cambodian branch of International Development Enterprises, IDE, an international not-for-profit organisation, which uses market-based methods to increase the income of the rural poor by improving market access, agricultural production and creating sustainable local businesses.

IDE, Cambodia was established in 2005 and has empowered a network of 60 independent small rural entrepreneurs in the country which is called the Farm Business Advisors.  The advisors give technical advice to small-scale farmers to help increase their

productivity and also sell products such as high-quality seeds, fertilizer, plastic fencing and irrigation equipment and services to the farmers.

Michael Roberts, country director, IDE Cambodia, appreciates the award from Nestle and said that the prize will further IDE’s mission to create income opportunities for poor rural households and hopes the prize will reach over 75,000 rural Cambodian household in the next few years.

Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, chairman, Nestle, congratulated IDE Cambodia for being the first to receive the prize. He affirmed to the work the IDE Cambodia is doing and encouraged them to continue. Paul Bulcke, chief executive officer, Nestle, said the company had a great entry from across the globe but IDE Cambodia is a leading project and the prize money will help them to continue to thrive and expand.

By Oluwatosin Oyebanji

 

Oparah: Zain, supporter of education