Mr. Babatunde Fajemirokun, MD/CEO of AIICO Insurance Plc
AIICO reaffirms commitment to driving healthcare programmes in Nigeria via CSR
[By VICTOR NZE]
Leading underwriting firm in the country, AIICO Insurance Plc., has reaffirmed its commitment towards driving growth and advocacy in Nigeria’s healthcare sector in Nigeria, through its corporate social responsibility (CSR) channel.
The insurer, which reeled out its numerous interventions in the country’s healthcare sector, stressed that these engagements only serve to further ‘endear the AIICO brand to the Nigerian marketplace,’ while noting that it is also one of the factors that has ‘sustained many individuals and corporates as long-term customers and attracting new ones.’
According to the Head, Strategic Marketing & Communications, Mr. Segun Olalandu, in a statement, Thursday, from every sale of its travel and automobile insurance products, AIICO donates N100 to the cause of raising awareness on a health advocacy, or funding a programme in the country’s healthcare sector.
AIICO interventions, according to Olalandu, include; driving the culture of internal blood donation, ending end infant homicide (infanticide) in Nigeria, nationwide anti-malaria campaigns, breast cancer awareness, sponsoring free eye surgeries in the country, among others.
Olalandu maintains that through these routine CSR engagements, AIICO ‘creates better relationships and connect deeply with the community and its people via several socially impactful programmes and activities.’
“One of the key areas of focus for AIICO’s Corporate Social Responsibility is health and well-being. The company has established relationships with partner agencies, government establishments, and non-profit organizations through which it touches many lives more meaningfully.
“Annually, AIICO commemorates World Blood Donor Day with an internal blood donation drive in partnership with Lagos State Government through its agency, the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service. “AIICO’s employees troop out voluntarily to donate blood. This intervention is in response to the enormous supply gap and the continuous rise in the demand for blood in local health institutions.
“AIICO is also helping to fight and end infant homicide (infanticide) in Nigeria. Unfortunately, this barbaric practice is still in practice in some local communities. AIICO donates N100 from every sale of its Travel and Automobile insurance products to this cause yearly. It partners with ActionAid Nigeria and Vine Heritage Home, who are at the forefront of the campaign to rescue these children. They provide them with shelter, and access to quality education and ensure they reintegrate into society without harm.
“Discussion on health in sub-Saharan Africa is incomplete without touching on malaria and its impact on public health in the region. Malaria accounts for up to 30 percent of all childhood deaths and 11 percent of adult deaths.
“In 2022, AIICO partnered with HACEY, distributing treated mosquito nets to many households through Primary Healthcare Centers in local communities across Lagos, Rivers, and Oyo States. Over 500 women benefited from the enlightenment on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, besides over 3,000 who were engaged online.
“The company has consistently driven awareness of breast cancer. It recently partnered with CancerAware Nigeria to continue the awareness effort and goes one step further. As a result, AIICO sponsored the treatment of 30 women with triple-negative breast cancer. It also supported 100 employees and their spouses for breast cancer scans, mammograms, and other public enlightenment campaigns.
“Also, recently, AIICO co-sponsored free eye surgeries through a partnership with the Indo-Eye Care Foundation in Lagos. As a result, 2,000 Nigerians benefited from the project and had their eye sights fully restored.
“These commitments to a meaningful impact on people and communities leveraging result-focused partnerships continue to endear the AIICO brand to the Nigerian marketplace. It is one of the factors that keep many individuals and corporates as long-term customers while attracting new ones,” Olalandu said, adding that through these socially-impactful programmes ‘AIICO Insurance Plc., has over the years, been able to create better relationships and connect deeply with the community and its people.’
