Access Bank Wins Big at 2019 SERAS Awards, Clears Five Awards

TruCSR, the company behind Nigeria’s foremost awards for Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability, the SERAS Awards, announced during the 13^th edition of the popular Awards that it would be partnering the international business magazine, Forbes, to release Nigeria’s first CSR and sustainability ranking. The publication will be titled “Top 50 Organisations Making a Difference in Nigeria”. The affiliation with Forbes would attract international attention to companies in Nigeria that are investing in highly impactful CSR and sustainability programmes.  The 13^th edition of the SERAS Awards was themed “Driving Sustainability Through Inclusive Growth: Strategic Partnership as Key to Unlocking Opportunities”, a reflection of the crucial role CSR has to play in achieving inclusive economic growth.

Over the last 13 years, the SERAS has attracted over 900 entries from almost 300 of Nigeria’s leading corporations and multinationals. About 250 awards have been handed out following a rigorous process that involved detailed analyses of over 5,000 sustainability projects in Nigeria and other African countries. The winning projects have been documented as best-in-class CSR projects in Africa, models for companies seeking to make social and economic impact in Africa to follow. According to Ken Egbas, Founder of the SERAS Awards, the 2019 edition has had the highest number of first-time participants, 29. Over 15,000 CEOs and top public officials have attended the awards ceremony.

The biggest winner at SERAS 2019 was Access Bank which clinched four awards (Best company in sustainability reporting, Best company in partnership for development, Best corporate communications team award and Best company in climate action), closely followed by Dangote Rice which won two awards (Best company in eradication of hunger and food security and Social enterprise award). Olumide Orojimi (NSE) emerged as the winner of the CSR/Sustainability practitioner of the year, while Omobolanle Victor Laniyan (Access bank) and Victoria Ndee Uwadoka (Nestle), were announced as the first runner-up and second runner-up respectively.

Categories/Winners

1. Best Company in poverty eradication: Nigeria LNG Limited
2. Best company in eradication of hunger and food security: Dangote Rice
3. Best company in promotion of good health and well-being: Zenith Bank
4. Best company in education: Nigerian bottling company
5. Best company in provision of water and sanitation: Nestle
6. Best company in provision of clean and affordable energy: International Breweries plc
7. Best company in infrastructure development: Chevron
8. Best company in partnership for development: Access bank
9. Best company in environmental excellence: Union bank
10. Best workplace practices: HIS
11. Best company in stakeholder engagement: Coca-Cola
12. Best company in supply–chain engagement: Dangote Cement
13. Social enterprise award: Dangote rice
14. Best company in promotion of gender equality and women empowerment: Unilever
15. Best company in climate action: Access bank
16. Non-for-profit of the year: ACT
17. Best corporate communications team award: Access bank
18. Best company in sustainability reporting: Access bank
19. Best company in CSR reporting: Media (Television, Print, Radio, Online): Channels TV
20. The Seras’ innovation prize: Union Bank
21. CSR/Sustainability practitioner of the year: winner; Olumide Orojimi (NSE), First runner-up; Omobolanle Victor Laniyan (Access bank), Second runner-up; Victoria Ndee Uwadoka (Nestle),
22. Best new entry: Flour Mills
23. Best use of storytelling to drive sustainability: Airtel