Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
Azura Power, West Africa Limited, operators of the Edo Independent Power Producer (IPP), yesterday said that its annual financial deployment for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) throughout its areas of operations, has now hit $1 million.
Speaking in Abuja , the Managing Director of the company, Edu Okeke, stressed that the interventions are structured in accordance with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and are geared towards improving health, education and the general livelihood of its communities.
Okeke, who spoke at a ceremony during which Azura Power, presented a solar power facility to Facado Orphanage Home located in Apo, stated that members of staff of the firm were also fully mobilised to celebrate the underprivileged children in the spirit of the festive season.
“In terms of the charter of the company, we devote $1 million yearly for these kind of activities. So, this is something that has been going on since inception and will continue for as long as this company is in existence,” Okeke added.
He noted that the event was going on simultaneously in Abuja and Benin where a a similar power facility was also presented to the Eghosa Orphanage home, stating that it will help the orphanage save the cost of diesel which he said now sells for as high as ₦800 per litre.
“It will save them the heavy cost of diesel used in generating power,” he explained.
“Some of us are parents and when we look at what is happening here, it is not an easy job for the proprietors, because it’s difficult taking care of kids. But our prayer is that among them, very soon some of them will be Azura employees. So we going to have fun today and make the kids happy,” Okeke added.
In her remarks, the Founder and Director of the Facado Orphanage Home in Abuja, Ngozi George, said the electricity facility will improve the education of the kids as well as their health.
She stated that the joy of the children has been uncurbed since the solar power was installed, explaining that the orphanage never wrote to the firm before they decided to make enquiries and install the facility on their own volition.
“Now the cry that they can’t see their books and the lack of electricity which has also been a major cause of mosquitoes around here will also disappear. So, it will improve their health, education, even their entertainment,” she stated.
While commending Azura for the kind gesture, she said that it will be a boost to the quality of life which she said will automatically improve.
Azura-Edo power station is a natural gas-powered open cycle electricity generation plant, with a current operational capacity of 461 megawatts, located in Benin City in Nigeria.
Last modified: December 12, 2022
