STEM, Sterling Bank’s cleaning initiative, to hit 8 cities on Saturday

Sterling Bank is set to hold the 2017 edition of its Sterling Bank Environmental Makeover (STEM), a corporate social responsibility initiative.

Launched eight years ago as a cleaning exercise promoting sanitation and hygiene, STEM has evolved into a national force championing the cause of the environment.

It presently covers public enlightenment campaigns, partnership with waste management agencies in 14 states, tree planting to combat desertification in parts of northern Nigeria and an annual national cleaning exercise.

In a statement, Henry Bassey, chief marketing officer of the bank, the 2017 edition of the national cleaning exercise will hold simultaneously in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Rivers, Kwara, Enugu, Plateau and the federal capital territory, Abuja on Saturday, August 12.

The exercise, organised in partnership with other corporate bodies and waste management agencies in states.

He said this year’s edition had been endorsed by Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, the Alake of Egbaland.

According to him, other notable personalities expected to grace the occasion from Ogun state are the speaker of the state house of assembly, the state commissioner of environment; permanent secretary of ministry of environment, chairman, Abeokuta south local government; the Ogun state National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) director; Ogun state health officers as well as the NYSC environmental community development service.

Bassey also said Folashade Joseph, executive secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), has been invited for the occasion.

He added that other top officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and those of the FCDA have confirmed their invitations to attend the cleaning exercise that would hold in Abuja and other states simultaneously.

Sterling Bank will also be joined by British Council, KPMG, L’Oréal, Malta Guinness, Aquafina, Daar Communications, Wecyclers, Businessday, Classic FM, Beat FM, Naija FM, Shawarma & Co and Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), among others, to make the cleaning exercise in Lagos State a success.

Bassey said the bank would use the occasion to formally handover 1,000 uniforms for street sweepers to the FCTA.