The agreement signing which took place on August 9,
2022 at the Nigeria’s headquarters of AFRICUNIA BANK in Yaba, Lagos made it the
fourth one that AFRICUNIA BANK has gone into with non-government organizations to
galvanize a seamless disbursement of the agricultural grant to farmers in every
nook and cranny of Nigeria.
According to the terms of the partnership, AFRICUNIA
BANK will economically empower UKWUANI BU ANIEZE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE
ASSOCIATION through sustainable grants and aiding its business proposals
financially, take on various humanitarian projects and relief-oriented roles in
Nigeria through the NGO, support local economic projects.
On the other hand, UKWUANI BU ANIEZE DEVELOPMENT
INITIATIVE ASSOCIATION, which was created to bring Ukwuani/Ndokwa sons and
daughters both at home and diaspora to provide the enabling platform to
identify problems with the aim to solve them through three cardinal approaches
of intervention, enlightenment and advocacy, will promote and publicize the
grant, as well as promote AFRICUNIA BANK and its sister subsidiaries across
Nigeria, organize seminars and trainings across Nigeria and beyond, monitor and
supervise grant recipients to ensure their businesses run smoothly.
Speaking after the agreement signing, the Executive
Secretary of AFRICUNIA BANK, Mrs
Madeleine Winkler, accentuated the urgency of intervention on the harrowing
economic realities in African countries, especially in Nigeria by the bank,
adding that whatever is done to improve the lives of Africans would go a long
way in positively affecting the next generation.
“It is
not an easy thing coming to Africa and I have the feeling that there are a lot
of things we can do for Africa. I started with an NGO to improve the lives of
Africans. If something is not done now the next generation of Africa is gone.
Africa is in danger if something is not done now because of the imminent food
crises. AFRICUNIA BANK has partnered with a lot of NGOs on the AFRICUNIA BANK/SPARCO BANK Agric
Grant Project because we need a lot of hands. We will put
our hands on the technology aspect of the project and we expect you to put your
own hands on the field that you know very well,” she said.
Responding to Mrs. Winkler, the President General of
UKWUANI BU ANIEZE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE ASSOCIATION, Mr. Gabiel Ntiejum and the Vice President, Engr. Dominic Olise Malagu, appreciated AFRICUNIA BANK for coming
to African ‘to make a mark’ by implementing changes and improving the lives of
Africans. They equally poured encomium on the management of the bank for
granting them an opportunity to work with them and stressed on their state of
preparedness to make the project a success.
“UKWUANI BU ANIEZE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE was
established in 2015 in order to fill the gaps in the lives of Ukwuani people,
make the politicians to be alive to their responsibilities, intervene and stand
for our people and help them in socio-cultural activities like farming. We
mobilize resources to help Ukwuani people to fare better in their lives. The
NGO was established to address problems of Ukwuni people in all over the world.
It is for Ukwuani ethnicity and friends,” Mr. Ntiejum said.
“The NGO is involved in intervention and advocacy for
people of Ukwuani and friends. We have over 12,000 members and we have a proper
structure on ground to reach out to them at the shortest notice and get answers
from them on issues. We have zones in Nigeria and abroad. We have eight zones
operating in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Warri and many cities in Delta and they all
hold meetings regularly.
“Directives get to the regional coordinators from the
national executive committee. The regional coordinators coordinate the zonal
coordinators who are closer to the grassroots. The strategy to make the project
a success will be facilitated by our structure. There will be seminars and trainings to
identify the problems of the masses and face hem headlong. Regular training and
dissemination of information will be effected,” Engr. Malagu said.
It is can be recalled that SPARCO BANK signed a global
strategic partnership and joint venture with AFRICUNIA BANK earlier in the year
which brought about the $5billion grant for the development of agriculture.
AFRICUNIA BANK had earlier signed partnership
agreements with three other non-governmental organizations, NEW DAWN HUMANITARIAN FOUNDATION, ISHIBA DEVELOPMENT AND EMPOWERMENT CENTRE
NGO and WEALTHFIELD GROUP
INTERNATIONAL.
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