Changing the Alausa Skyline: The Allianz Media Way

Samuel Ajayi

In pursuit of its corporate social responsibility, CSR, Allianz Media Limited, an outdoor advertising agency, recently built and donated the Alausa Scenic Garden to the Lagos State government. Raheem Akingbolu reports.

It was corporate social responsibility at its best when Allianz Media Limited, one of the nation’s leading outdoor advertising outfit, handed over the Alausa Scenic Garden, which the company designed and built, to the Lagos State government. Arguably, it was the first time such would be done by any outdoor agency in the state and it was a demonstration of the company’s commitment to giving back to the same society that has given it so much.

The General Manager of the company, Adeyemi Adeshina, could not high his joy and satisfaction that the project finally came to fruition and completion. While it took over two years to complete the project, running into several tens of millions, there were some bottlenecks that needed to be overcome before the project could be completed.

“It was a triumph of determination and commitment to what we believed in as a corporate body that is committed to doing the righting and also protecting our environment in the process. That was why we undertook this project. And it is a thing of joy that we were able to complete the project and hand it over to the Lagos State government today,” Adeshina said during the commissioning of the project.

Chairman of Allianz Media Limited and Marketing and Media Limited, Dr. Theodore Ekechi, in his speech during the commissioning, said protecting the environment was one of the biggest commitments and imperatives of governments all over the world. He explained that in addition to reducing greenhouse gas emission and carbon footprints, one of the most important way to protect the environment is through the planting of trees.

He added that Lagos State, being the economic nerve centre of the nation was naturally at the fore-front of the drive and push to protect the environment going by the volume of economic activities that take place in the state every day.

“Lagos State, Nigeria’s economic capital and centre of excellence is unsurprisingly at the forefront of efforts to protect our environment. Yet, the challenges that government everywhere face are well known to us all. With government resources stretched, the case for public-private partnership (PPP) is strengthened.

The need to play our own part as responsible corporate citizens is thus what inspired our adoption of the ecologically diminished area adjoining the Lagos Television perimeter. Prior to our humble effort to regenerate and beautify this corridor, it had become overgrown with weeds and unsafe for residents and members of the public alike,” Ekechi explained.

He explained that it really felt the company and its staff with pride to have helped to make the corridor more habitable and hospitable. He praised the government agency the company partnered with, the Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency, LASPARK, for its support and encouragement towards ensuring that the project was completed.

“I have to specially thank LASPARK led by the indefatigable Adetoun Popoola. We thank you heartily for your unalloyed support and cooperation towards the success of this initiative. We are committed to adopt more diminished areas for onward transformation to lush green rich gardens.”
Ekechi added that interestingly, one way to make this type of collaboration sustainable for all parties is the opportunity to explore the use of these spaces for advertising.

“Government and the public get ample green areas and advertisers always like to reach their target groups in an eco-friendly way. In that situation, everybody wins! That is why we are pleased to have not just the Managing Director of the Lagos State Advertising and Signage Agency, LASAA, in attendance but our key advertising agency partners as well. Possibilities abound and we are more than happy to create and co-create with you environmentally friendly out-of-home advertising products,” Ekechi enthused.

It could be recalled that the corridor overlooking Shoprite was overgrown with weeds and trees that were not doing much to protect the environment. In its determination to ensure that the environment is protected, the Allianz Media approached that Lagos Stage government through LASPARK and offered to build the Alausa Scenic Garden. The approval was given and the company went to work. Though there were some bureaucratic bottlenecks that slowed down the pace of the project, but this did not deter the company as it remain committed to the project and saw to its completion.

Apart from the fact the park would afford fun seekers to have good time and catch some fun, sources close to the company told THISDAY that Allianz Media Limited is planning to provide Wi-fi services in the garden so that those who visit the place could enjoy free data provision and services.

When asked to confirm this, Ekechi, chairman of the company, said this was true as it was part of their plans to ensure that the park ranks among the best in the state.

In a state where recreational centres are not many and not properly maintained, the Alausa Scenic Garden is not only commendable but perhaps, a clear indication that some corporate bodies can actually think out of the box in their corporate social responsibility efforts.
It now remains to be seen if this beautiful edifice would be properly maintained to last long and serve the purpose for which it was built.