FoodCo Supports host Communities with CSR outreach Programme

 FoodCo is actively supporting its host communities through a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) outreach programme as part of its commitment to empower local residents. The company, recognized as a Top-5 retailer and a two-time honoree on the Financial Times’ Fastest Growing Companies in Africa ranking, recently organized a special outreach initiative for the communities of Idi-Ose and Ojoo in Ibadan, Oyo State.

During the programme, FoodCo distributed food packages to residents of the communities. According to Funmi Aiyepeku, the company’s Head of Innovation, Growth, and Business Transformation, “This outreach is a part of the company’s wider Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) thrust designed to cushion the effects of the current inflation on the most impacted population. It also aligns with the country’s quest towards attaining the United Nations Sustainability Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger, which aims to create a world free of hunger by 2030.”

Aiyepeku emphasized FoodCo’s longstanding positive relationship with host communities over its 40 years of operation. She highlighted the company’s commitment to a win-win approach in community partnerships, stating, “In over 40 years of operations, we are privileged to have enjoyed a strong affinity with our network of host communities who continue to provide us with a peaceful and secure environment to do business. This relationship has been largely fostered by FoodCo’s CSR thrust which emphasizes a win-win approach to community partnerships.”

Calling on stakeholders to contribute to efforts in reducing hunger, Aiyepeku disclosed that FoodCo plans to extend its interventions across various value chains to provide comprehensive support. She noted that, “According to UNICEF, over 25 million Nigerian children faced hunger in 2023 and there are genuine concerns that the situation may escalate given the galloping inflation and depleting disposable income of the majority of people in the country. We believe that only a concerted effort from well-meaning stakeholders can effectively combat this threat, and we are committed to working alongside local stakeholders to create a future where food security is a sustainable reality for all.”

Since its establishment in 1982, FoodCo has actively empowered vulnerable communities through education, skills development, and economic opportunities. The company has been committed to fostering long-term solutions through community engagement and partnerships. With 21 outlets across Oyo, Lagos, and Ogun States, FoodCo operates the largest supermarket chain brand in South-west Nigeria, outside Lagos, and is one of only two omni-channel retailers in the country.