LEAP Africa,Union Bank partner on social innovation in Nigeria

In its bid to support the efforts of budding social innovators and entrepreneurs in Nigeria, LEAP Africa in partnership with Union Bank have revealed plans to organise the 2019 Social Innovators Programme and Awards (SIPA), scheduled to hold at the Shell Hall of the MUSON Centre in Lagos on November 14.

The 2019 SIPA is the 7th edition of the awards ceremony where LEAP Africa, with the support of Union Bank, will unveil emerging Nigerian social innovators and change agents under the age of 35, who are operating in diverse fields across the country, and offer them sponsorship into the one-year Fellowship to scale their innovations into sustainable and thriving enterprises.

Commenting on the event, President/CEO of Mastercard Foundation, Reeta Roy, who will deliver the Keynote, will speak extensively on this year’s theme, “People, Profit, Planet: The Tripartite Win” to advance the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) framework and the possibilities of realising human development, sustainable enterprises and a safer planet. Prior to joining the Foundation, Roy was the Divisional Vice President of Global Citizenship and Policy at Abbott and was Vice President of the Abbott Fund. Roy also worked at the United Nations before joining the private sector.

Roy will be joined by globally recognised professionals like Clare Omatseye, MD JNC International; Achenyo Idachaba-Obaro, founder of MitiMeth; Solape Hammond, SA to Lagos State Governor on SDGs and acting Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment; and other award-winning social innovators in Nigeria as panelists at the 2019 SIPA.

Also Commenting on the event, Ogochukwu Ekezie-Ekaidem, Head of Corporate Communications and Marketing at Union Bank said, “Our partnership with LEAP Africa for the Social Innovators Programme and Awards aligns squarely with our efforts in talent development – one of our CSR pillars. As a socially responsible corporate organisation dedicated to enabling the success of the everyday Nigerian, Union Bank continues to leverage partnerships such as this one, that allow us support the efforts of budding social innovators and entrepreneurs.”