PAC Holdings leads green finance campaign on Environment protection

…as Lagos backs PAC Foundation Luncheon

Micheal Ajayi

Pan African Capital (PAC) Holdings has taken the lead on the campaign for green finance to ensure sustainable environmental projects in Nigeria

This was staged at the 2019 PAC Holdings, ‘Green Finance and Environment Forum’ themed, “The Earth, Our Business and the Future” organised by the company in Lagos where it also launched the PAC Foundation, the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm of PanAfrican Capital Holdings Limited as a vehicle to create social impact.

In a statement released by the company, global climate has been stressed more than ever before in recent times, and essentially calls for immediate changes from all; starting from the way people run their communities, businesses and individual lives.

Speaking on the event, Chairman of PAC Holdings, Mr. Dolapo Atekoja, explained that fundamental in driving this change is the choices made in the allocation of financial resources.

“As you may know, Green finance is aimed at increasing the level of financial flows (from banking, micro-credit, insurance and investments) from the public, private and not-for-profit sectors to sustainable environmental projects.

“As a company, we are strongly convinced that issues of climate change and environmental sustainability should be on the front burner”, Dolapo said.

Speaking further on importance of the event, Chief Executive Officer, Chris Oshiafi explained that the objectives of the forum is to emphasise the need to consider both financial gains and environmental benefits in the chase to take up opportunities

and also to share ideas on innovative ways to preserve the environment, encourage more private investments towards climate preservation, and highlight opportunity areas for more public/private collaboration.

“We think that as part of the responsibility to where we do business, we should all work towards protecting the earth, protecting our businesses and people who live in the environment.

So, we thought this will become a dialogue on the how important protection of the earth is and how important climate change and how seriously we should begin to take the issue of climate change to deal with potential dangers ahead of us”, Oshiafi said.

Launching the PAC Foundation, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, commended PAC Holdings for looking beyond their primary interests as private business investors to organise the event.

The foundation which is a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm of PanAfrican Capital Holdings Limited as a vehicle to create social impact was commended by the Governor.

He then praised Board and Management of PAC Holdings for being socially and ethically conscious for coming up with such an initiative, whilst also stating that the launch is the most important aspect of the Forum which is an avenue for PAC Holdings to create impact for social good which the Lagos economy would ultimately benefit from.

He encouraged other private companies like PAC Holdings to follow this step in order to ensure the sustainability of Lagos.

“In addition, we will give the required financial support to young businesses showing willingness to key into this new model as well as some technological innovators creating new solutions to making businesses profitable and environmentally friendly”, Hamzat said.