THE Sterling Bank Plc has intensified its environmental sustainability campaign with the unveiling of Olamide Adedeji, popularly called Olamide Baddo, as the Sterling Environmental Makeover, STEM, Ambassador. The STEM is the bank’s corporate social responsibility initiative, which seeks to promote practices that contribute to the quality of environment in the long term.

Olamide is Nigeria’s foremost hip-hop artiste with large followership that cuts across socio-economic classes and age groups. In this role, he will inspire Nigerians, both young and old to alter their lifestyle and adopt sustainable living actions which reduce negative impact on the environment and makes planet earth a clean and safe place. Olamide is expected to extend, reach and impact the Sterling Bank Environmental Makeover programme.

Launched eight years ago, the initiative has promoted sanitation, hygiene and environmental sustainability in more than 14 states across Nigeria. Last December, Nollywood actor, Funke Akindele, popularly known as Jenifa, joined the bank’s employees to clean Lagos streets.

Henry Bassey, chief marketing officer, Sterling Bank, said, “As a bank, we are big on the environment and clearly going to sustain that. One of the ways to sustain this initiative is to create excitement around it and we find Olamide a credible choice. Partnering Olamide will consolidate on the success of the STEM Programme, which covers provision of uniforms to street cleaners in 14 states, national cleaning exercise by Sterling Bank employees, and tree planting in Bauchi, Gombe and Plateau states to address the challenge of desertification.

“We cannot live a healthy life, conduct business and create wealth amidst waste or in a toxic environment. Without clean air, water, land and energy, our collective humanity is endangered.  This makes it necessary for us to keep our environment orderly and functional through sustainable living actions and regular cleaning. As a result, we have signed up Olamide as STEM ambassador to nurture this consciousness among young Nigerians and also lead our upcoming national cleaning exercise. Our goal being to lead the movement to promote environmental sustainability in Nigeria,” Bassey said.

—  Jun 19, 2017 @ 01:00 GMT