Sterling Bank Plc, has kicked off cleaning exercises in 10 states across the country simultaneously under its Sterling Environmental Makeover (STEM) programme, which started eight years ago.
The STEM programme is Sterling Bank’s corporate social responsibility initiative, which seeks to promote practices that contribute to the sustenance of the environment on a long-term basis. The programme, organized in partnership with other corporate bodies and waste management agencies in states, has received accolades from stakeholders over the years.
Speaking at a press conference to herald the exercise in Lagos yesterday, Mr. Henry Bassey, Chief Marketing Officer, Sterling Bank, disclosed that the Computer Village in Ikeja will serve as the focal point of the cleaning exercise in Lagos State.
He explained that the Bank flagged off this year’s STEM about two months ago with the unveiling of popular hip-hop artiste Olamide Adedeji as the brand ambassador of STEM in a bid to intensify the environmental sustainability campaign.
He said Olamide, in his role as STEM brand ambassador, created an exciting theme song on environmental cleanliness. The singer was also on hand to add colour to the skate and clean campaign, recently used by the Bank as a precursor to this year’s STEM programme. The main cleaning exercise will hold August 12, 2017 across 10 states in the country, Bassey said.
Sterling Bank will be joined by British Council, L’Oréal, Malta Guinness, Aquafina, Daar Communications, Wecyclers, Businessday, Classic FM, Beat FM, Naija FM, Shawarma & Co and Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), among others, to make the cleaning exercise in Lagos State a success.
In his remarks, Mr. Segun Adeniji, General Manager of LAWMA, noted that the STEM programme is very important to the government of Lagos State because it reinforces the saying that “environment is life and life is environment.”
Adeniji described STEM as apt and timely, saying the programme would remain relevant for many years to come because the environment would always be there. He commended Sterling Bank for supporting LAWMA with the provision of reflective uniforms to street sweepers employed by the agency.
Deji Awokoya, General Manager of The Beat 99.9 FM, commended Sterling Bank for sustaining the exercise in the past eight years.
Also speaking, Mr. Johnson Onime, Executive Director, Corporate Communication, Daar Communications, noted that Sterling Bank’s decision to give back to the society through its STEM campaign is worthy of commendation because the Bank understands that it exists in a community.
Onime gave assurance to the Bank that media organisations including Raypower 100.5 FM and AIT Television, owned by Daar Communications, will be available to amplify the STEM environmental awareness campaign among Nigerians and enjoined other media houses to emulate the two media organisations.
The 10 states that will benefit from the cleaning exercise are Lagos, Oyo, Rivers, Kaduna, Ogun, Kano, Kwara, Plateau, Enugu and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
STEM was launched eight years ago by Sterling Bank to promote sanitation, hygiene and environmental sustainability in Nigeria. The Bank is partnering with more than 14 states across Nigeria on this. Last December, Nollywood actress Funke Akindele, popularly known as Jenifa, joined the employees of Sterling Bank to clean the streets of Lagos.
In the last five years, Sterling Bank Plc has committed more than N500 million to the STEM programme. This covers partnership with agencies responsible for waste management in 14 states, tree planting and the national cleaning exercises.