By LAGOS, Nigeria | NEWS RELEASE —
The Sahara Group has been inducted into the Private Sector Advisory Group of the Sustainable Development Goals Fund (SDG-F) in recognition of its contribution to activities that promote inclusive economic growth for poverty eradication, capacity building, food security and access to potable water.
Sahara Group, a leading privately owned Power, Energy, Gas and Infrastructure Conglomerate with footprints in Africa, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, will be represented on the advisory board by Mr. Tonye Cole, the Group’s co-founder and Executive Director.
Speaking at the Board’s inaugural meeting in Madrid, Spain, Ms. Paloma Durán, Director, SDG-F said the Private Sector Advisory Group would provide the SDG-F Secretariat with guidance and strategic support to achieve better development results in coordination with the private sector. The SDG-F is a development cooperation mechanism created in 2014 by UNDP, on behalf of the United Nations system, with an initial contribution of the Government of Spain to support sustainable development activities through integrated and multidimensional joint programmes.
Durán said the inclusion of Sahara Group on the advisory board was informed by its remarkable sustainable development activities that are driven by strategic funding, partnerships and volunteer activities involving Sahara’s staff. “The decision to include Sahara Group will be of much value and I am confident that this Advisory Group will facilitate the emergence of formidable platforms through which the SDG-F can partner with the private sector to achieve its goals,” Duran added.
The Board is expected to among others; help shape the SDG-F’s activities on capacity building, dialogue, research and Knowledge Sharing, Resources and infrastructure as well as advocacy and creating awareness.
Describing Sahara’s involvement with the SDG-F as another unique opportunity to serve, Cole said the company continues to seek avenues to promote sustainable development across markets where it operates through its Personal Corporate Social Responsibility (PCSR) platform. He said Sahara would through the SDG-F platform facilitate robust public-private partnerships that will accelerate development across Africa.
Cole said Sahara’s PCSR activities are coordinated under the aegis of Sahara Foundation which focuses on sustainable community development, education and capacity building, healthcare and the environment.
“Sahara is passionate about touching lives, empowering people and providing opportunities for individuals, small businesses and communities to thrive and attain achievements beyond imagination. With over 3000 man-hours of volunteering by staff and implementation of many sustainable projects around the world, this appointment gives us another reason to remain steadfast in our resolve to transform lives by giving and serving sustainably,” Cole asserted.
The SDG-F is expected to work within the selected regions of Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia, Arab States and Africa, to continue to support national actions towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through the initiation of new Joint Programmes. The organization will pursue achievement of inclusive economic growth for poverty eradication; food security and nutrition; access to potable water and disease free environment.
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