Access Bank leverages CSR to build healthy generation

The World Economic Forum Africa, WEFA held in Abuja recently provided another opportunity for Friends of the Global Fund Africa, known as ‘Friends Africa’ to assemble its partners including  top  team of Access Bank  Nigeria to discuss creative ways to fund healthcare in Nigeria.

 In its Corporate Social Responsibility, Access Bank has been playing leading roles in ensuring a healthy generation. The bank officials and other discussants came to the forum, prepared on innovative ways to fund healthcare.

 The former CEO of the bank, Aigboje Aig-Imoukuede who is board chairman of Friends Africa said the idea to discuss and seek ways of addressing the health challenges faced Africa at World Economic Forum underscores its significance and importance to the future of Africa’s health.

 “It is true we still have a long way to go and only through joint effort will we be able to reach our fundamental goal.  You would also agree with me that effective internal cooperation in generating innovative heath financing would diminish threats to the future of Africa”

 According to Aig, innovative financing alone is not enough. Africa needs to device innovative approaches and technologies that will help combat these diseases and bring their impacts to a manageable level.

 There were also suggestions of building little money like N5 into air-tickets or as little as 2k into GSM calls to raise money.

In his contribution, Hubert Wigwe, the CEO of Access Bank said  resolving the health issues requires several things and one of them is support from the private sector, government and individuals. Health financing is critical from the private sector but government intervention is important. “Another thing that is important to fight the issue of disease is partnership and the mode of implementation in terms of the crusade to make the world and Africa a better place”.

On the challenges of forging true partnerships between the private sector and government, Wigwe attributed it to lack of understanding but said the issue is becoming more topical and more people are realizing it.

Access Bank has supported in several ways by galvanizing the private sector. We led the campaign in 2010 in what we referred to as Gifts from Africa where we led private sector institutions and other great institutions to raise money for the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. That single event raised about $5 million dollars. The bank has also contributed its own money apart from through that campaign in fighting that course. But more importantly the whole essence of all of this is enshrined within the values of Access Bank. Every Access Bank person is contributing by way of volunteering or doing something to improve health and work place practices and support for motherless babies home”.

Giving example of private sector involvement, Norah Odwesso, Public Affairs and Communication Director for Coca Cola Central East and West Africa said though Coke is not a health organization as the organization is in the food and beverage organisation but Coca Cola has made health a priority because “our strong believe is that our company only prospers and will be in good health when our communities are in good health”.