United Bank of Africa, UBA Plc’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Kennedy Uzoka alongside Afropop star, Wizkid have fed thousands of people through the UBA Foundation Food Bank.
The duo distributed food items and goodies to the less privileged last Friday at the UBA Foundation Garden in Marina, Lagos.
The food bank is an initiative to feed the less privileged across Africa during the festive season by the UBA Plc through its corporate social responsibility arm, UBA Foundation.
From Senegal to Ghana, Côte D’Ivoire, Cameroon and many of UBA’s subsidiaries, the focus of the food bank is to feed the poor and homeless.
Expressing his joy at being able to give back meaningfully, Wizkid, who is UBA brand ambassador, said: “I am excited to be a part of this initiative which is aimed at putting smiles on the faces of the needy. This is one of my passions and I am fully aligned with Africa’s global bank.”
Uzoka on his part explained that the food bank initiative is one of the ways that the bank, through its foundation appreciates and supports the communities in which it operates.
Uzoka, who is also the chairman of UBA Foundation, said the initiative would be a continuous event.
“As you know, giving back is one of our key tenets and we have over the years, engaged in various activities aimed at appreciating our host communities all around Africa and especially in countries where we operate,” he said.
The UBA boss added, “At UBA , we care for the people in our societies and will continue to do all we can to ensure that we touch lives meaningfully.”
The Chief Executive Officer, UBA Foundation, Ms. Bola Atta, said the empowerment is one of the key pillars of the foundation.
He added that the UBA Foundation aims to impact positively the lives of those living around the host communities.
She said: “Over the years, we have embarked on a number of activities that have positively impacted the people who live in our communities. To be able to feed those who have little is a small gesture that goes a long way. Those who all lined up to collect their food packs and toiletries seemed happy that someone remembered them. We wanted to let them know that all lives matter. I hope we made many smile and that we gave a glimmer of hope during a special season like this.”
One of the beneficiaries, who simply gave his name as Abdul, said: “I am very happy with what you people are doing. This morning I didn’t even know what I was going to eat. I am really surprised. You people have done very well, we didn’t expect this at all. In fact, when my people came to call me, I didn’t believe it until I got here. I am here with my three children. This was very unexpected, and we are very happy.”
UBA staff members were also on ground to volunteer their time and services to the cause.