The Union Bank of Nigeria has partnered with the Co-Creation Hub (CcHub) to launch the Centenary Innovation Challenge with entries closing 19 May.
It comes as the Union Bank celebrates its 100th anniversary with the theme “Celebrate, Impact and Lead”. The bank aims to find innovative startups and offer them support to address the country’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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The challenge is open to university students, software developers, entrepreneurs and academics from Nigeria.
The Union Bank CEO Emeka Emuwa recently addressed the partnership at a press conference held last week.
In his address Emuwa said the bank is committed to being at the leading edge of innovation, with emphasis on enhancing customer experience and driving social innovation.
He said the bank was moved to partner with CcHub as it believed that by working together private institutions and individuals can tackle social problems in a sustainable way.
The Union Bank and CcHub’s Centenary Innovation Challenge aims to develop growing startups
The head of the Union Bank’s group corporate strategy, Lola Cardoso, also spoke on how dedicated the bank is to being a “socially driven and responsible bank”.
“Our approach to corporate citizenship helps us leverage on our heritage as a strong financial institution to support local efforts aimed at achieving sustainable development and driving social change.”
“For the past two years, our approach to corporate social responsibility has focused on three strategic pillars – financial inclusion, agriculture and talent development,” she said.
“This competition, our Centenary Innovation Challenge, focuses on addressing the SDGs while also aligned with the three strategic pillars we have identified as a bank. Specifically, we are focusing on agriculture, education and financial inclusion for the Challenge – these are areas we are committed to creating significant impact and establishing our leadership,” she said.
CEO and co-founder of the CcHub Bosun Tijani said the partnership would provide CcHub with a platform to implement its solutions for communities and the country as a whole.
“Over 98% of the support, we get as a hub is derived from outside Nigeria and this relationship with Union Bank is our first with a Nigerian financial institution. Clearly, this is a commitment we appreciate and we want other reputable institutions to emulate,” concluded Tijani.
Featured image: Jeff Attaway via Flickr (CC 2.0, resize)
