Access Bank Plc has shown absolute support towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals as it joined other stakeholders at a dinner organised by the Nigerian Business Coalition Against AIDS (NiBUCAA) on Saturday, January 5, 2019, to discuss methods to combat HIV/AIDS in the country.
The Bank’s GMD/CEO, Herbert Wigwe who is also the Co-Chair of the Board of NiBUCAA, implored all business leaders present at the dinner to support local and national efforts aimed at HIV/AIDS prevention, testing, care and treatment services across communities in Nigeria.
Speaking at the event, he said: “The importance of health in overall sustainable development cannot be overemphasised. It facilitates growth, productivity, security and is also essential for better standards of living. There is still so much to do to fast track our response as leaders in various business sectors in the fight against HIV/AIDS. As a coalition, expanding access to the most vulnerable and marginalised population is key to our goal of ending HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.”
Managing Director of Total E&P Nigeria and a Co-chair of NIBUCAA board, Nicolas Terras, while speaking at the dinner mentioned that “the fight against HIV/AIDS is too big for the government to handle alone. Hence, captains of industries have collective leadership roles to play in the multi- sectoral response to HIV and AIDS, adding that the scourge is one that must be won at all costs.”
Omobolanle Victor-Laniyan, Head, Sustainability at Access Bank Plc, while speaking at the event said that since inception, NiBUCAA has been persistent in galvanising the resources and technical expertise of the private sector towards addressing the pressing challenges of HIV and AIDS in Nigeria. She said participating companies will benefit immensely from the partnership as NiBUCAA assists members to develop and implement workplace HIV/AIDS policies and programmes, including education on prevention, safer sex practices, confidential counselling, testing and treatment, amongst others.
NiBUCAA is a coalition of leading businesses with a commitment to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic at all levels of intervention within the health system and the private sector workforce. The organisation seeks to unlock the market potential of the health sector by addressing market failures, defragmenting the private sector and shaping health markets to create a more attractive health investment landscape.
