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Business News of Monday, 9 August 2021

Source: www.thisdaylive.com

Coca-Cola Foundation, partners IGEC for Women Economic Empowerment

The Coca Cola Foundation The Coca Cola Foundation

The Initiative for Gender Empowerment and Creativity (IGEC), which was created to inspire creativity and empower vulnerable women, has unveiled its Climate Smart Shea Processing Facility project funded by The Coca-Cola Foundation on July 28, 2021.

The NGO officially launched the much-anticipated project at a commemorative event in Tede, Oyo State, following a grant awarded by the Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF), the philanthropic arm of The Coca-Cola Company.

The project, one of many to receive funding from the Coca-Cola Foundation this year, is focused on supporting rural community women who make a living through farming and trade in the Shea Butter value chain.

Speaking at the launch of the project, the Director, Public Affairs, Communications & Sustainability, Coca-Cola, Nwamaka Onyemelukwe, emphasized the economic opportunities the facility presented to the women of Tede community and expressed her faith in the implementing partners, IGEC, to deliver beyond expectations.

She said, “The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF) is deeply committed to improving lives and creating a better-shared future for its host communities. 2020 was a challenging year that taught us more about how to adapt to new realities in the face of a harsh economic situation. We are confident that this grant that has been awarded to IGEC will go a long way in economically empowering the women in the Tede community.

"The Climate Smart Shea Processing Facility is a project that offers these women in the less privileged communities a competitive edge in shea butter production while providing economic opportunities for the community at large."

The Director, Public Affairs & Communications, Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC), Ekuma Eze, expressed delight as the Oyo State has hosted its bottling operations for so many years.

“As the company celebrates its 70 years of doing business in Nigeria, we believe there is no better time to unveil this project. We are deeply excited at the huge impact the project will have on the community and the economy. The Climate Smart Shea Processing Facility offers unprecedented economic opportunities and inclusion for the women,” he added.