This is a special report on the recently held 2009 Social Entreprise Reports and Awards.The Brand Gavel celebrates the achievement of a visionary organization. Happy reading.
This year Social Enterprise Reports and Awards-SERA- has come and gone. But its effects are still there for brands to learn from. This year edition was tagged: ‘Making the Connexions: How Business Will Affect Lives in the Next Decade. The purpose of the 2009 SERA is to explore the impact of business on lives of real people in a very challenging era. Some of the major brands that were initially nominated were removed due to lack of certain disclosures that the judges felt were necessary.
The event was flagged off with a glamorous red carpet welcome, anchored by Clara Okoro of Brand World and Gimba Umar of TV Continental, which saw the guests, including the MDs and CEOs of Nigeria’s mega corporations, strutting and posing for pictures with the backdrop of the SERA banner. The cocktail followed with light entertainment by Crown Troupe.Comedian, Kofi Idowu started the main event with laugher and fun preparing ground for SERA host, renowned actor Kanayo O. Kanayo, who took over from Kofi for the rest of the evening. Executive Governor of Cross River State , Senator Liyel Imoke, received the SERA recognition award for contributions to achievement of Millennium Development Goals 1, 4 and 5 (poverty reduction and health) through health delivery and infrastructural development of both rural and urban areas of Cross River State . The governor was ably represented by his deputy, Effiok Cobham and four commissioners from the State.Poju Oyemade, Senior Pastor of the Covenant Christian Centre (CCC) was also recognised for his visionary and dynamic leadership exemplified by two CCC projects that have made immense impact on the lives of thousands of young people in Nigeria and with the potential to change destinies of individuals and engender development of the nation. The projects are Edu-Aid, the organization’s response to the falling standards in the quality of education and learning in Nigerian public primary schools and the Platform – an entrepreneurship and leadership development programme that exposes young Nigerians to local and global leaders who provide cutting-edge knowledge in entrepreneurship and business development.Awards were presented in three major categories – to companies whose CSR initiatives support the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and to the most responsible companies in the sectors of banking, telecommunications, foods and beverages and manufacturing. The final set of awards went to the best companies in Employee Development, Welfare and Safety; Sustainability Reporting; Most Improved CSR; and Arts and Culture promotion.
Sonflower Development Initiative (SDI), a youth and women empowerment-focused non-governmental organisation, donated the laptop computer prize presented to the winner of the Tunmise Adekunle Award for CSR reporting, Mr. Yusuf Ibrahim of The Nation. The keen contest for the SERA statuette saw MTN emerge as winner in four categories in addition to being the overall best – Poverty Reduction (MDG1); gender Equality (MDG3); the most responsible company in the telecommunications sector; and the best company in Partnerships for development (MDG 8). Bank PHB took home the statuette for the best education sector CSR programme (MDG2). GTBank bagged the statuettes for two categories – Child Health (MDG 4), and the most responsible company in the banking sector; in addition to the prize as overall runner up.Lulu-Briggs bagged the prize for CSR focused on promotion of Maternal Health (MDG5) for the second time in a row. The organisation emerged winner in this category in the 2008 SERAs. Ninutra Consulting walked away with the prize – Combating HIV/AIDS, Malaria and others. Guinness Nigeria PLC emerged the best company in Environmental Sustainability as well as Employee Development Welfare and Safety second year running, Fidelity Bank PLC won the Arts and Culture prize while the most Improved CSR prize went to Access Bank PLC. The culmination of voting by stakeholders via SMS and on the SERA website, a voting process anchored SMS Nigeria, saw Dangote emerge as the Most Voted Company with 1,050 votes. This was closely followed by Dufil Prima Foods (Indomie) with 740 votes and Coca-Cola with 709 votes. For the first time at the annual Nigeria Social Enterprise Report and Awards ( the SERAs), Nigeria’s tax authority, the Federal Inland Revenue (FIRS) issued certificates of commendation to the overall best winner and the first runner up during the 2009 SERA which took place at the Shell Hall MUSON Centre on September 17.
MTN emerged the overall winner of the 2009 SERAs, as in the previous two editions; with GTBank as runner up. This was a closely contended race to take home the prized SERAs statuettes for the most responsible company in Nigeria 2009. FIRS’ communications boss, Mr. E.E. Bassey presented the certificates of commendation to the overall winner and runner up.The Honourable Minister for Steel Development, Mrs. Diezani Alison Madueke gave the keynote address. Speaking on behalf the SERA Jury 2009, Mrs, Nkechi Alli-Balogun, The CEO, Necci and immediate past president of the Lagos chapter of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) explained the reasons behind the decisions they took. She noted that while the judges were impressed with the improved quality of some entries it was disappointing that many companies still fell short because of their resistance to disclosures. “This year, overall best nominees were subjected to further scrutiny by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). A number of potentially strong nominees were dropped at this point ”, Alli-Balogun said.
FIRS issued the certificates on the premise that in every country of the world, corporate tax payments are the largest and the most visible contribution of companies to stakeholders who are not necessarily shareholders and employees. According to FIRS’ Head of Channels Management and SERA judge, Mrs. Olajumoke Simplice, “tax payment is the first social responsibility of corporations”. Speaking at the Judge’s meeting, Head of Corporate Communications of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Mr. Bola Fashina, indicated that during the 2010 SERAs, SON, being the representative of ISO in Nigeria , will issue certificates to the overall best as well as the first and second runner-up companies. “This is to further promote and raise standards of CSR in Nigeria”, Fashina said.
N.B Additional review, information was supplied by SERA organizer.
Photo:L-R,Dr Ken Egbas, MD Trucontact- the organizer, Deputy Governor cross Rivers state Barr. Effiok cohbiams, Prof.Ike nwosu, NIPR president.
