UAC : DOING GOOD

By Kayode Ajayi-Smith

UAC of Nigeria Plc (UACN) has, for over a century, remained a foremost private enterprise and leader in the economic advancement of Nigeria. A leading Food-Focused company, UAC operations also span logistics and warehousing, real estate and automobile sectors of the economy.
UAC has a rich legacy of good performance, with the company posting impressive financial results that have continued to yield dividends for its shareholders. UAC has successfully launched its corporate identity journey change, which demands a paradigm shift in the corporate culture as well the emergence of the company as an agile, entrepreneurial, innovative, youthful and marketing-driven organisation. The corporate identity project has led to the mobilization of the employees to consciously align with the company's unassailable drive towards "Doing Good" in all its endeavours.
UAC RESTAURANTS operates all the restaurant brands - Mr Bigg's, Nando's, Chicken Inn, Creamy Inn, Pizza Inn , Dial-A-Delivery and Village Kitchen. The business unit also undertakes site profitability, crew motivation, operational strategy, repairs and maintenance of stores and procurement of general items.

COPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

UAC's Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives target the educational sector through interventionist programmes that seek to uplift the standards in the sector and provide a more conducive atmosphere for sound academic attainment. The company's pilot Schools Support Projects have led to the provision of various infrastructural assistance and facilities to schools in some of the geo-political zones of the country.
The company has, over the years, directed its Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives towards assisting communities, institutions and charitable organizations and the award of scholarships.

UAC's enduring drive for sustainable growth and milestone contributions to the development of the country is exemplified by its new pay-off "doing good". As a socially responsible corporate citizen, UAC assists communities, institutions and charitable organizations and also awards scholarships to students and undergraduates in Nigerian secondary schools and universities respectively. The Company has also launched its Goodness League initiative aimed at touching the lives of our young children - the leaders of tomorrow. The executional platform is anchored on support (infrastructure and coaching) to legacy schools in Nigeria. UAC's initiatives have led to the execution of the Schools Support Programme, which seeks to boost infrastructure and enhance facilities in schools across the country.

UAC's interventionist programme in the public educational sector, which has led to the provision of support to two legacy schools in Lagos - St Finbarr's College, Akoka and CMS Grammar School, Bariga in 2007. This was in a view to assist in arresting the rapid deterioration of infrastructure and standards in schools that have produced the cream of Nigeria's current elites. This is also in a view to avoid the collapse of the public education system which will lead to dynasties of poverty, which, unfortunately, have unintended consequences.
The company chose schools with history that have produced the nation's great and good, to work with them and help the heritage institutions to still remain bastions of good education for the average Nigerian child who cannot afford the new ivy league institutions which the privileged attend.

Apart from UAC's symbol of successful entrepreneurship, the company has also been a foremost and active participant in the economic development of Nigeria.