Sterling Bank Plc, Nigeria’s leading commercial bank has partnered with Lasgidis Recyclers, a Lagos-based environmental social enterprise, to clean up Freedom Way and Admiral Ayinla Way in Lekki Phase 1, Lagos over the weekend.
Speaking on the exercise, Mr. Godwin Ibeabuchi, Business Executive, Retail and Consumer Banking in charge of Victoria Island Area Lagos for Sterling Bank, said, the bank has been promoting environmental sustainability, good sanitation, and hygiene across the country for about 10 years, ensuring that Nigerians live and do business in a clean environment.
He added that “We are motivated by the understanding that it is difficult to live a healthy life, conduct business and create wealth amidst waste or in a toxic environment. Without clean air, water, land and energy, our collective humanity is endangered. This makes it necessary for us to keep our environment orderly and functional through sustainable living actions and regular cleaning.”
Also speaking, Mrs. Idu Okwuosa, Managing Partner of Lasgidis Recyclers said, “I live in this neighbourhood and I normally take early morning walks. Also, when I am driving around, I see drains blocked by plastics and other wastes and this usually breaks my heart.” She said Lasgidis decided to make the Lekki area clean by cleaning one street at a time and this gave her the opportunity to reach out to volunteers and to some of the women who receive stipends from Lasgidis to help in the cleaning of the environment.
Mrs. Okwuosa disclosed that besides Freedom Way and Admiral Ayinla Way, Lasgidis had plans to organise another major cleaning exercise, tagged Lagos Sweep, before the end of the month. Thereafter, two staff members from Lasgidis would be assigned to clean one street daily in the Lekki area, she said.
She said Lasgidis would be working with housing estates in the Lekki neighbourhood in a bid to sustain a clean environment, adding that they were also working on an app that can be downloaded by residents so that when they had enough wastes they could easily contact Lasgidis through the app.
The founder said her goal was to pick up and dispose waste before they get to the drains.
Sterling Bank promotes environmental sustainability, good sanitation, hygiene and enriches lives in fulfilment of its brand purpose of “Enriching Lives.
