On Sunday, the 21st of November 2021, CSR Reporters -Nigeria’s No. 1 Social Responsibility Magazine and Africa’s First All-Corporate Social Responsibility Publication held her Social Impact Award for the year 2021 with the theme: Celebrating Social Responsibility and Sustainability Front Runners.
The CSR Reporters awards is aimed at encouraging Corporates, Corporate Foundations, NGOs, Government and Public Sector undertakings, Individuals and Groups to deliver high impact CSR projects and adopt a multi-stakeholder approach leading to excellence in project outcomes and measurable social impact. It is also aimed at appreciating the organizations and individuals who have dedicated their time and resources towards building a better society for all.
Among the awardees was Mr. Eustace Onuegbu, President, International Network for Corporate Social Responsibility (IN-CSR) and Head, Supply Chain Sustainability Academy, Africa who bagged the Sustainability Personality of the Year2021Award for his relentless work in the sustainability space.
In his keynote address, Mr. Onuegbu stated that “close members of his circle can attest to his passion for sustainability as well as his enthusiasm for what the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can do for humanity. In as much as it is vital to implement these global frameworks, it is also important to note that the SDGs are not just an additional plan for the world, nor do they replace the specificity and detail of existing international agreements. Rather, they are a shared vision of a world which according to the United Nations (UN) can be termed as the “vision piece” of the globalization puzzle.
According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) report, nearly half of the world — 75 nations representing 37 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) – are planning to take more climate action than they have already promised in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) – i.e their national climate pledges and this is to address some of the recent catastrophic disasters around the world which have been linked to climate change.
Currently, 71 countries are still deliberating – including many of the biggest greenhouse gas emitters, while 14 countries indicated they had no plans to revise their NDCs.
In line with this, President Muhammadu Buhari in his speech at the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly mentioned that Nigeria has developed its home-grown Integrated Sustainable Development Goals model (iSDG Model) – an analytical framework for assessing how policymaking can better address the indivisible nature of the SDGs.
He went on to say it is however clear that there is still a lot of work to be done in order to confidently say we are on track to achieve the 2030 agenda both in Nigeria and many other countries.
Obviously, we are way beyond measuring poverty based on only GDP terms. It is important to note that the 169 targets supporting the SDGs are the various 169 ways of explaining how no one should be left behind. To illustrate better, it implies that these 17 Goals and 169 targets for which indicators exist, and monitoring systems are being set, in all forms the basis of a new social contract between the world’s leaders, the business community and the people.
He seized the opportunity to congratulate every awardee for their great work and commitment in the social impact and sustainability space and mentioned that sustainability has now become the new normal – requiring organizations to go beyond compliance and charity to internalize their negative externalities.
Other awardees include; Chief Allen Onyema, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Air Peace Airline as Philanthropic Person of the Year, Dr. John Momoh, Chairman/CEO Channels Media Group as Social Impact Media Entrepreneur of the year, 2021, Hon. Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, Honorable Minister, Industry, Trade and Investment as Sustainable Investor Public Servant of the year, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, The Executive Governor of Lagos State as Social Impact Political Leader of the Year, HajiyaSadiya Umar Farouk, the Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development as Social Impact Woman of the year, Ubong Umana Okon Umana, Managing Director/CEO, The Oil and Gas Free Trade Zone Authority as Social Impact Public Servant of the year, Hon. Justice Nelson Ogbuanya, Judge of the Industrial Court, as Social Impact Practitioner of the year, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, Chair/CEO, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency as Good Governance Pulic Servant of the year, Ms. Eunice Sampson, Director, Learning and Development, the Association of Sustainability Professionals of Nigeria (ASPN) as Sustainability Change Maker of the year, Prof. Kenneth Amaeshi, President, Dr. Edwin Isotu-Edeh, Environmental Health Consultant, WHO as Sustainability Health Consultant of the year, Dr. Seyi Paul Oshodi, Founder/CEO, Oshodi Arts & Gallery as Culture Ambassador of the year, Titilope Ngozi Akosa, Executive Director, Centre for 21st Century Issues (C21st), Dr. Sunday Akinbola, Publisher, Hero Magazine as Social Media Personality of the year, Dr. (Mrs.) Gloria Diri, The First Lady of Bayelsa State as Social Impact First Lady of the Year, DCC MwueseOgagua Lizzie Ekpendu, Deputy Controller, Nigeria Correctional Centre, kirikiri Female Section as Social Responsibility Public Officer of the year, Prof. Jerry TswareBarminas, DG/CEO, National Research Institute for Chemical Technology, NARICT as Social Impact Head of Government Agency of the Year, Suleiman Abbas, Director, Environmental Assessment Department, Federal Ministry of Environment as Public Servant of the year, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, The Executive Governor of Niger State as Sustainability Governor of the Year, Fidelis Duker, A native of Henshaw Town, Calabar, Cross River State as Philanthropic Entertainment Personality of the Year, Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene, President. Ohanaeze Ndghgbo, Lagos State as Philanthropic Socia-Cultural Personality of the Year, and Barrister Monday Ubani, Legal Practioner and the Principal Partner of the Law Firm of Ubani& Co as the Philanthropic Legal Personality of the Year.
He further challenged the awardees to realize that the award is a pointer to the fact that people are watching what they do, therefore the recognition should act as the catalyst needed to do more and ensure the achievement of a more sustainable world.
The International Network for Corporate Social responsibility (IN-CSR) is an international team of Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility (CS&R) Consultants and Corporate Human Rights Advocates working to promote best practices in Sub-Saharan Africa.
