Non-alcoholic beverage industry giant and leading soft drinks manufacturing company, Nigerian Bottling Company Limited (NBC), has restated its commitment to environmental sustainability, during the 2017 World Environment Day celebration. While marking the global day for environment in Nigeria on the 5th of June 2017, NBC took active participation in tree planting exercises, sensitization walks and other programs to create awareness for care of the environment, in line with the global theme for 2017 World Environment Day – Connect with Nature.
In a Company statement, Director of Legal, Public Affairs and Communications for NBC, Sade Morgan, said, “World Environment Day is a great opportunity to collaborate with stakeholders in protecting our environment, while reinforcing our Company’s commitment towards a sustainable future. This year, the theme, Connect with Nature, implores us to get outdoor and into nature, to appreciate its beauty and importance, then act to protect it. This is part of what inspired NBC to support tree planting exercises in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Environment, Abuja, and Edo State Ministry of Environment and Public Utilities.”
Speaking to stakeholders during the tree planting exercise at Ramat Park, Benin City, Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State stated that a forestry commission would be created to manage afforestation in the State, while committing to plant 250,000 trees annually. In a related development, the Honourable Minister of State for Environment, Alhaji Ibrahim Usman Jubril, during the Federal Ministry of Environment sensitization walk in Abuja, tasked all stakeholders to take active part in preserving the environment for the benefit of all.
NBC also partnered with the Lagos State Ministry of Environment in a World Environment Day lecture that brought together individuals, students, government and non-governmental organization. market representatives, businesses and entrepreneurs, to raise awareness about key environmental issues and challenges. During the lecture that took place at the Kanu Ndubuisi Park in Lagos, Prof. Oladele Osibanjo, President of Waste Management Society of Nigeria discussed practical ways on how people can connect with nature and how a clean environment can enhance the economic value in Lagos and Nigeria.
As an environmental steward, NBC’s gesture to support the protection of our environment, enrich public knowledge and drive environmental best practices at the 2017 World Environment Day is a significant part of the biggest global call by the United Nations to mobilize people, raise global awareness and take positive action to protect and nature our planet and ultimately for environmental sustainability.
