We’re Committed To Supporting Our Host Communities  –Azuka Onyia, Next Microfinance boss

 

Early morning  of Saturday August 3, residents of Ilaje area in Mobil Estate of Ajah axis of Lagos-Epe Expressway woke up to see management and staff of Next Microfinance alongside scores of volunteers in colourful Tshirts cleaning their community.

The sanitation gesture was a collaborative innitiative between the financial institution and Wastebuzz Recycling.

Speaking on the motive behind the exercise, Dr. Azuka Onyia, Next Microfinance Chairman said since there is a general consensus and norm that cleanness is next to godliness, her organisation and Wastebuzz have come together to improve the sanitation of the community where they operate from.

“We are not relenting in our effort to ensure that the negative narrative that Lagos is one of the dirtiest cities in the world is changed,” Onyia said.

According to the veterinary doctor turned financial expert, “this is not about looking good as an individual but about your environment. Your environment must reflect your personality and what you represent. Therefore as an organisation we intend to continue this innitiative as often as possible.”

She noted that the exercise will not be a one-off event, rather it will be quarterly and will be rotated across several communities within Lagos.

Also commenting, Mr. Oluwasegun Sodimu, Managing Director, Next Microfinance said both his firm and Wastebuzz have come together via this initiative to promote sustainable development and give back to the communities in which they operate.

He disclosed that Next Microfinance is a micro finance institution that provides access to financial services to that segment of customers who are either underserved or considered unbanked in Nigeria.

“Every time you save with us, you help contribute to a fund that assists us tackle the pollution of our waterways caused by improper disposal of wastes, especially plastic wastes,” Sodimu said.

Jide Amu, a resident of the beneficiary community, commended the innovative approach to waste disposal which involves  recycling.

He however appealed to the organisers to make the project as regular as possible and more inclusive of locals.