11/5/2016/Ecobank Nigeria Limited
Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria Limited, Charles Kie has stated that Ecobank is positioned to partner sporting events with regional appeal that create opportunities for Africans to converged on healthy competitive basis. According to Charles Kie, the Bank whose vison is to build a world-class pan-African Bank and contribute to the economic development and financial integration of Africa, sees sports as fulcrum for this integration.
The Ecobank Managing Director who was special guest at the 4th Okpekpe International 10 km Road race in Edo State at the weekend, said the decision for Ecobank to support the competition was in line with its corporate social responsibility (CSR) direction, which emphasizes empowerment and positive engagement of the youth population. “Our decision to support the Okpekpe race for the third year running is one of the several ways of supporting sports development across the continent. We are impressed with the participation of international athletes across the continent. We will continue to be associated with this initiative.”
He noted that the choice of Ecobank Rapid Transfer as the official money transfer for the competition was because of its global recognition, “explaining that the product is an innovative money transfer services available within Nigeria and countries in Africa where Ecobank is present. The service was conceived out of the need to provide quick, convenient, accessible, and reliable money transfer facility for our retail and wholesale customers and non-customers of the bank”.
While urging the participants to avail themselves of the opportunities provided by the Bank, Kie further said “the product allows you to send and receive money across Nigeria and to also receive money from over 30 countries and others where Ecobank has its footprint.”
This is just as the Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole and President, Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Chief Solomon Ogba, described Ecobank’s consistent support for Okpekpe Road Race as commendable, urging other corporate organizations to emulate the bank.
Two Kenyans, Simon Cheprot and Polline Wanjiku Njeru won this year’s Okpekpe Race in the male and female categories respectively. They went home with $15,000 prize money each after finishing in a record time of 29min: 48sec and 33min: 53sec respectively. The silver medals went to Ismail Juma Ballet of Tanzania who finished in a record time of 29min: 50sec and Esther Ndiema of Kenya in 33min: 55sec with a prize money of $10,000 each. The third position went to Timothy Toroitich of Uganda at 29min: 54sec; and Buzunesh Gutalshor of Ethiopia who finished in 33min: 58sec with a prize money of $7,000 each.
The yearly marathon which is the 4th in the series also had Nigerians participating in the local category as well as indigenous participation. Adamu Shehu, Stephen Joshua and Emmanuel Jiang, all from Plateau state came first, second and third in the men race and they went home with N250,000, N100,000 and N80,000 respectively. In the Nigeria female finishers, Plateau state born Deborah Pam, Olamide Oluwaseun Serah (Ogun state) and Elizabeth Nuhu, Nasarawa state won the first, second and third position and were given N250,000; N100,000 and N80,000 in that order as prize money. In the indigenous category of the Okpekpe race, the host community, Raphael James and Mary Enodube won the male and female category race and were given the prize money of N150,000 each.
The Okpekpe 10km road race is organised by Pamodzi Sports Marketing, a leader in sports marketing, sponsorship, hospitality and Rights Acquisition business in Nigeria in conjunction with the AFN and Edo State government. The previous editions of the race were dominated by East Africans with Kenya’s Moses Masai winning the maiden edition while Ethiopia’s Teshome Asafan won the men’s title at the second edition and his country woman, Wuday Ayalew winning the women’s title.
