Audi On The Road To Climate-Neutral Mobility

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Audi On The Road To Climate-Neutral Mobility
  • Accelerated transfer to e-mobility: more than 20 models by 2025
  • Cooperation with energy providers: Audi is calling for expansion of renewable energies
  • Holistically sustainable: numerous steps in the supply chain, production, and logistics

Production of Audi’s final new combustion engine model will start in just four years. Beginning in 2026, the premium brand will only release models onto the market that are powered purely by electricity. The manufacturer will phase out the production of internal combustion engines by 2033.

In order to become a leading provider of net-zero carbon mobility, Audi is also optimizing every link in its value chain and, moreover, committing itself to the expansion of renewable energy. On the “Sustainability” theme day at Audi Media Days prior to the IAA, the company presented, among other things, its vision of a climate-neutral factory and showed how sustainability is implemented in the supply chain.

Audi wants to be a net-zero carbon emissions company by no later than 2050. By 2025, the company plans to offer more than 20 fully electric, battery-driven cars. At the same time, Audi wants to reduce the ecological footprint of its fleet – specifically, by 30 percent as compared with 2015. One central goal is to make production carbon-neutral at all sites by 2025.

This has already been achieved as an interim target at Audi Hungaria and Audi Brussels. The premium brand is keeping all its processes in sight: the sourcing of raw materials and production itself, but also the utilization phase and recycling or reuse at the end of a car’s life cycle.

Manufacturing: where it all begins

Through the transition to e-mobility, a portion of total carbon emissions is being transferred to the supply chain. Above all, that applies to electric cars’ lithium-ion batteries, which require particularly energy-intensive production. For perspective, that is where almost a quarter of all carbon emissions will be produced per car at Audi. That’s why the company is starting right at this early phase. Intelligent use of resources will save materials and reduce energy consumption. In turn, this will reduce carbon dioxide emissions in upstream production processes and lower levels of the supply chain.

For that reason, Audi is taking steps, together with its suppliers, that address this early phase of manufacturing above all. By 2018, the company had already initiated the “CO2 Program in the Supply Chain” to identify steps to further reduce CO2 together with its suppliers. “We are convinced that our suppliers play a key role in our success with respect to sustainability,” says Marco Philippi, Head of Procurement Strategy at Audi.

Opportunities can be found primarily in closed material cycles, a gradual increase in the use of secondary materials, application of materials from recycling processes known as “recyclates” in plastic components, and using green electricity.

These measures will also be in full operation by 2025 and, according to calculations by Audi and its suppliers, have the potential to save an average of 1.2 tons of CO2 per car. In 2020 alone, Audi was able to save a total of over 335,000 tons of CO2 in its supply chain. That amounts to a reduction of 35,000 tons of CO2 released in comparison with 2019.

Green energy, more recyclates, less waste

One example of more sustainability in the supply chain is the switch to renewable energy. By contract, for instance, high-voltage battery cells have to be produced with green electricity. That was the case for Audi’s very first electric model, the Audi e-tron, and it still applies today.

Moreover, Audi is committed to various initiatives and, together with other partners, campaigning for adherence to human rights and environmental protection in its supply chain. That includes membership in the Global Battery Alliance.

Peter Kössler (B)

This worldwide platform was started in 2017 on the initiative of the World Economic Forum. It brings public and private actors together to sustainably organize the battery value chain from a social, environmental technology, and economic perspective.

Another example of how Audi is bringing more sustainability into the supply chain is secondary materials. Audi returns the aluminum scraps from the press plant to the supplier for processing and then gets it back in the form of newly processed aluminum coils. This means that less primary aluminum is necessary and less carbon is emitted.

Introducing the “Aluminum Closed Loop” in Audi’s press plant was able to prevent a total of about 165,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions in 2020. Now, Neckarsulm, Ingolstadt, and, starting in 2021, Győr are also implementing the Aluminum Closed Loop.

Additionally, as a contribution to resource conservation, we are using recyclates – processed materials derived from a recycling process – in more and more components. That is not only a matter of reducing carbon emissions, but also economical and efficient use of materials.

Some 27 components in the Audi Q4 e-tron are made with recyclates. On the exterior, that includes parts like the assembly carrier – a part that some cooling components, headlights, or the bumper casing are attached to and that has to meet particularly high mechanical demands. What’s more, a large proportion of the headlight mounts, wheel arch liners, fender covers, floor trim, and wheel spoilers is made from secondary raw materials.

Starting with PET: seat covers made from bottles

In the interior, recycled materials are used in the insulation and damping materials. Moreover, many of the visible surfaces contain recycled materials. These include the floor covering and parts of the luggage compartment trim.

In the S line interior, Dinamica microfiber material, in combination with artificial leather, functions as upholstery for the sport seats. Polyester fibers make up 45 percent of the Dinamica material. They are obtained from recycled PET bottles, old textiles, or residual fibers.

The carpeting and floor mats in the Audi e-tron GT1 are made of Econyl – a material that consists of 100 percent recycled nylon fibers. They come from production waste, fabric and carpet scraps, or old fishing nets. There are up to 45 1.5-liter PET bottles in the seats of an Audi A3. Seat covers made from secondary raw materials were used for the first time in the fourth generation of the Audi A3.

Artificial intelligence in supply chain monitoring

Alongside carbon-reduction initiatives and a gradual increase in secondary materials, the premium brand is also willing to break new ground for a more sustainable supply chain. The Volkswagen Group has outlined its sustainability requirements for partner companies in its “Code of Conduct for Business Partners.”

The Group takes well-founded indications of violations of the Code’s requirements extremely seriously and follows up on them systematically. Its defined environmental, social, and compliance guidelines form the basis for collaboration and are an integral part of monitoring. A sustainability rating (“S rating”) for suppliers has been a mandatory criterion for awarding Audi contracts since 2019. Audi uses this procedure to verify whether companies comply with the requirements laid out in the “Code of Conduct for Business Partners.” Audi only works with companies that pass this audit.

Moreover, there are post office boxes and ombudsmen to inform Audi about suspected cases. Artificial intelligence has supplemented supply chain monitoring at Audi since October 2020, complementing these traditional complaint channels with a proactive tool. In a pilot project organized by Audi, Porsche, and Volkswagen in about 150 countries, intelligent algorithms from the Austrian start-up Prewave analyze reports on suppliers from public media available online and social networks.

This analysis encompasses suspected sustainability risks such as environmental pollution, human rights violations, and corruption. When they are found, the artificial intelligence sounds the alarm and Audi can respond to it. The main advantage of the AI that Audi uses is the speed at which it recognizes relevant information online and transmits it in packaged form. “We can recognize where potential risks turn up much earlier and actively counteract them, for instance through targeted strategic dialog with supplier companies,” Philippi explains.

Production: conserving resources, reducing emissions

The importance to Audi of sustainably using resources is also evident in production. A central goal of the cross-site “Mission:Zero” environmental program is to make production carbon-neutral at all sites by 2025. Audi Hungaria reached the carbon-neutral goal in the past year; Audi Brussels did it in 2018. Moreover, the environmental program also addresses water use, resource efficiency, and biodiversity and has initiated pilot projects in all locations.

Oliver Hoffmann (C)

“In Brussels, we implemented a whole bundle of measures,” says Achin Diehlmann, Project Manager for the Audi environmental program Mission:Zero. The factory switched to green electricity and installed a large, 107,000 square meter (1,151,738 square feet) photovoltaic system. The heat supply for the location comes from renewable energy via coverage through biogas certificates. Emissions that are currently technically unavoidable are compensated through certified carbon credit projects. These three pillars – supported by other measures – are blueprints for decarbonization at other locations as well, depending, of course, on the individual regional possibilities and constraints.

A current project at the Neckarsulm location shows how recycling can work. There, 3D-printed assembly aids are produced in a recycling loop. To that end, accumulated plastic waste is sorted out of production, shredded, and then processed into filament. With the help of 3-D printers, these plastic threads are turned into tools for production, precisely customized to employees’ needs.

Valuable water and habitats close to nature

To use water consciously and sparingly, Audi is looking to efficient processes, closed water loops, and amplified use of rainwater. AUDI AG Board Member for Production and Logistics Peter Kössler says, “We want to massively reduce our freshwater consumption and cut our water consumption per vehicle produced in half by 2035. To do that, we’re already using recycled water, which is used repeatedly and reprocessed within the loop, wherever possible. Our vision is to have closed water cycles at all of our production locations.”

Audi México has been wastewater-free since 2018. At the Neckarsulm site, a closed water cycle is being set up between the factory and the neighboring municipal wastewater treatment plant operated by AZV Unteres Sulmtal. A service water supply center has been in use at the Ingolstadt site since 2019. Together with the previous treatment system, roughly half of the wastewater generated can be fed into a circuit where it is treated and processed for reuse.

“In many regions of the world, habitats for plants and insects are becoming scarcer and scarcer. That’s why we want to contribute to preserving biodiversity at our locations,” says Peter Kössler. The natural open spaces at the Audi facility in Münchsmünster constitute a lighthouse project for action with respect to biodiversity. Thanks to targeted ecological design, the complex near Ingolstadt offers a particularly valuable habitat for numerous species of plants and animals. At the production facilities in Münchsmünster near Ingolstadt, Audi has transformed 17 hectares of land into natural habitats for animals and plants. So far, more than 110 species of plants have developed there and around 90 species of wild bees have settled in.

The goal: carbon-neutral manufacturing and delivery to customers

The effects of these steps and concepts are visible: production of the Audi e-tron GT1, Audi e-tron, Audi e-tron Sportback, and Q4 e-tron series and their delivery to customers are already carbon neutral. All unavoidable carbon emitted in the course of production and logistics is offset with carbon credits. They are certified by either the non-profit organization The Gold Standard or Verified Carbon Standard.

Consequently, all electric cars for the European and US markets have been delivered to customers as carbon-neutral products since 1/1/2021. That is certified by TÜV Nord.

The utilization phase: green electricity is crucial

A car’s utilization phase comprises the entire time in which the product is used by the customer, including fuel or electricity provision. This is the phase when most of the emissions that a car produces over the course of its life cycle arise. For electric cars, the electricity used to charge them is a major factor, however, charging points with green electricity are still not available everywhere. For that reason, Audi is cooperating with energy providers, among others, and developing its own charging concepts. “We want to offer our customers a holistic electric driving experience.

In addition to attractive models, we need to be able to offer widespread green electricity,” says Board of Management for Technical Development at AUDI AG Oliver Hoffmann. For example, Audi customers can already use the green power solutions offered by Volkswagen subsidiary Elli (Electric Life) to charge their cars at home today. For charging on the road, the IONITY charging network and many other charging point operator companies rely on green power.

“We’re working hard to make carbon-neutral mobility possible. The expansion of renewable energy sources at an industrial scale is the next, logical step,” says Hoffmann. To cover the charging processes that do not yet use green electricity, new wind and solar parks that will altogether generate around five terawatt-hours of additional green electricity are planned for various European countries with several partners by 2025. This corresponds to an installed capacity of about 250 new wind turbines.

The objective is to increase the share of electricity our partners generate from renewable sources in conjunction with an additional increase in the share of electric cars on the road. “That means that our entire e-tron fleet in Europe will be climate neutral in the future,” says Oliver Hoffmann.

The first project, a solar park in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, is being developed in collaboration with the German utility company RWE. The plant will come on stream in 2022 and is designed for a total capacity of 170 million kilowatt-hours. Encompassing nearly 420,000 solar panels, it will be one of the largest independent solar parks in Germany. Further projects are to quickly follow.

Audi charging hub: power in 2nd life storage

With the Audi charging hub, the company with the four rings has developed a charging solution that will primarily cover peak demand as a supplement to the basic coverage that is on the market. The concept calls for high-power charging (HPC) stations that can be reserved in advance to provide a high level of planning security. A lounge area connected directly to it will provide an attractive, premium place to pass the time. “Charging an electric Audi model only takes a little longer than a coffee break,” explains Audi charging hub overall project manager Ralph Hollmig. “With our lounge, it will be particularly entertaining or it can be used, for instance, for business appointments.”

Cubes are the foundation of the Audi charging hub. These flexible container Cubes house charging pillars as well as used lithium-ion batteries for energy storage. The use of 2nd life modules from disassembled development vehicles doesn’t just give the battery cells a new, sustainable purpose – it also provides a great benefit in their suitability as ancillary storage for direct current. This makes complex infrastructure with high-voltage lines and expensive transformers unnecessary.

Flexible and sustainable concept: 2.45 Mwh storage

Starting from 11 kW of power per Cube via a standard 400 volt high-voltage connection, the Audi charging hub can already be operated. This not only makes it easier to select possible locations, but it also reduces the planning time required and economizes both costs and resources. The hub can be quickly transported, installed and adapted to the particular location – largely independently of local network capacities.

At the pilot location, a total power input of 200kW is enough to be able to continuously fill three storage modules with a total capacity of 2.45 Mwh and charge them overnight – supported by additional photovoltaic modules on the roof. With the ancillary storage, about 70 quick charges with up to 300 kW of power are possible daily – and that is without a power connection in the megawatt range that would otherwise be necessary. The first Audi charging hub will go into operation in Nuremberg in the fall.

The 2nd life philosophy says that components should only be recycled when they are broken. If they still work, but are not necessarily up to the demands of their original purpose anymore, then it is more ecological and conserves more resources to find an alternative – for instance as energy storage – than to recycle them prematurely. In the future, the battery storage units could also free up the network as ancillary storage in generators or big industrial consumers. Together with utility company EnBW, Audi has already built the first storage unit of that kind in Heilbronn to test the process.

Pilot recycling system for batteries in Salzgitter

Only when batteries can no longer fulfill their 2nd use applications are they dismantled in accordance with modern recycling concepts into their individual raw materials in order to be used again in new batteries. Among others, the Volkswagen Group’s pilot recycling facility for lithium-ion batteries in Salzgitter, Germany serves that purpose. What is particular about the facility in Salzgitter is that only batters that are no longer otherwise useful are recycled there.

As an initial diagnosis, analysis software tests the health of the battery and checks whether it still has enough power for reprocessing – for instance into mobile energy storage units like flexible fast-charging stations or charging robots. Audi Brussels developed the software. Other recycling facilities are planned to follow the pilot project. The goal is to establish a closed material loop for batteries.

Looking beyond the horizon: Audi is fostering sustainable innovations
Innovative technologies are the key to a sustainable future. Rüdiger Recknagel, Director of the Audi Environmental Foundation, says that “environmental protection is a job for all of society. The Foundation is an instigator and a driver for innovative technologies in environmental protection.

We want to inspire each individual to be part of environmental protection and give them concrete ideas so that they can make their own contribution.” The Foundation wants to sensitize and inspire people of every age with respect to environmental protection and, in doing so, make a social contribution to a livable future. The focal points of its engagement include supporting what are called Greenovation Projects by applying new technologies to gentle treatment of natural resources.

For example, the Foundation, together with TU Berlin and other partners, is developing filters for street drainage. They prevent the tire wear particles and other environmentally harmful substances from being washed into sewers and bodies of water along with rainwater.

Innovative units like Audi’s Berlin-based Denkwerkstatt are also working on bringing more sustainability into everyday life and the economy. The Denkwerkstatt develops new business models, tests them, brings them to maturity, and acts as an incubator. That way, good ideas can be implemented quickly. One example of that is the ecomove app. It helps users understand and reduce their personal mobility-induced carbon footprint and offset unavoidable emissions.

For example, the app automatically recognizes which means of transportation users are currently using and calculates a personal mobility score based on that. To improve this score, ecomove playfully motivates users to make their mobility more sustainable. Rewards in the form of trophies are used to encourage users to make positive changes in their behavior. In addition, users can offset remaining emissions through the app.

Zenith Bank Maintains Growth Momentum In H1 2021 Despite Monumental Headwinds

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Zenith Bank Maintains Growth Momentum In H1 2021 Despite Monumental Headwinds

In a clear demonstration of its resilience, Zenith Bank Plc has announced its audited results for the half-year ended 30 June 2021, recording positive growth across key financial metrics despite a challenging macroeconomic environment exacerbated by the COVID 19 pandemic.

According to the bank’s audited half-year financial results presented to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX), the Group recorded a growth in profit before tax of 3% from NGN114 billion reported in H1 2020 to NGN117 billion in H1 2021.

The Group also recorded a 9% growth in non-interest income from NGN116 billion in June 2020 to NGN127 billion in June 2021. Overall, the significant reduction in interest expense by 26% and growth in non-interest income by 9% culminated in improved profitability.

The Group’s retail journey continues to deliver positive results as retail deposits grew by NGN38.2 billion from NGN1.72 trillion to NGN1.76 trillion year-to-date (YTD). Savings balances grew marginally by 2% YTD to close at NGN1.18 trillion from NGN1.16 trillion as at December 2020.

The drive for increased retail deposits and a low-interest yield environment helped reduce the cost of funding from 2.2% to 1.3% in the current period. Operating expenses grew by 10% YoY, but growth remains below the inflation rate, while the Group improved its Earnings per Share (EPS) which grew 2% from NGN3.30 to NGN3.38 for the half-year ended June 2021.

The Group also increased total customer deposits by 8% to close the period at NGN5.77 trillion, demonstrating growth in the market share. Total assets grew marginally to NGN8.52 trillion as at 30 June 2021 from NGN8.48 trillion recorded as at 31 December 2020. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic-induced challenges and the challenging operating environment, the Group grew its risk assets as gross loans were up by 3% YTD, from NGN2.92 trillion to NGN2.99 trillion.

This was conservatively achieved at a low Non-Performance Loans (NPL) ratio of 4.51% (FYE 2020: 4.29%) and a reduced cost of risk of 1.3% (June 2020: 1.8%). Prudential ratios such as liquidity and capital adequacy also remained above regulatory thresholds at 69.9% and 22.0%, respectively.

Despite the continued prevalence of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is cautious optimism that the global economy will continue to recover as vaccination programmes are intensified. On the domestic economy, Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 5.01% in the second quarter of 2021, and the inflation rate, which peaked in March 2021 at 18.17%, is gradually trending down (currently at 17.38% as at July 2021).

The Group is well-positioned to maximize the opportunities that these recovering fundamentals present while leveraging technology to expand its retail footprints to deliver improved returns to all its stakeholders.

In recognition of its track record of excellent performance, Zenith Bank was voted as Best Commercial Bank in Nigeria in the World Finance Banking Awards 2021, Bank of the Year (Nigeria) in The Banker’s Bank of the Year Awards 2020, Best Bank in Nigeria in the Global Finance World’s Best Banks Awards 2020 and 2021, and Best in Corporate Governance ‘Financial Services’ Africa 2020 and 2021 by the Ethical Boardroom.

Also, the bank emerged as the Most Valuable Banking Brand in Nigeria in the Banker Magazine Top 500 Banking Brands 2020 and 2021, and Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital in the “2021 Top 1000 World Banks” Ranking by The Banker Magazine. The bank was also recognised as Bank of the Decade (People’s Choice) at the ThisDay Awards 2020, Retail Bank of the year at the 2020 BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BOFI) Awards, and Best Company in Promotion of Good Health and Well-Being as well as Best Company in Promotion of Gender Equality and Women Empowerment at the Sustainability, Enterprise and Responsibility (SERAS) Awards 2020.

Zenith Bank has grown enormously in 30 years to become Nigeria’s largest and one of Africa’s largest financial institutions by tier-1 capital, with shareholders’ funds of NGN1.1 trillion ($2.64 billion) as at 31st December 2020. The Bank continues to distinguish itself in the Nigerian financial services industry through superior service offerings, unique customer experience and sound financial indices. Zenith Bank is the clear leader in the digital space with several firsts in the deployment of innovative products, solutions and an assortment of alternative channels that ensure convenience, speed and safety of transactions.

Guinness Nigeria Forecasts 5% GDP Decline

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Guinness Nigeria Forecasts 5% GDP Decline

…Pays N918m For Trademark

Guinness Nigeria projects a five percent decline for the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2021.

The brewer stated that the recovery of the economy is still unclear as covid-19 infection rates and deaths continue to rise – currently, there are 190,983 plus reported cases and 2,361 deaths.

Guinness Nigeria’s economic projection comes amid a 5.01 percent growth in GDP of the country’s second-quarter 2021, and a drop in inflation rate to 17.38 percent in July.

As cited on Ripples Nigeria, its First-Half financials filed with the Nigerian Exchange Group on Friday, August 27, Guinness Nigeria reported the inflation rate at about 13 percent.

In its words, “The Company considered 3 scenarios; Optimistic, Base and Pessimistic. Each scenario looked at various levels of recoverability in the market as a result of COVID, forecasted inflation & GDP, and the possibility of price increase.

“Probability of the Optimistic happening is based on how quickly the economy picks up and recovers as a result of COVID-19. The recovery still remains unclear as infection rates and deaths continue to rise. We assumed GDP rate of about (-5%) and inflation at about 13%.”

Trademark and technology licenses

Meanwhile, during H1 2021, Guinness Nigeria paid trademark fee and technology licenses of N918 million to Diageo plc, which gave the local firm exclusive rights to the know-how, manufacturing, distribution and marketing of its international brands such as Guinness brands, Orijin, Smirnoff Snapp, amongst many others.

The payment represents a royalty of 0.5 percent of net sales value and a technical service fee of 2 percent of net sales value, and its higher than the N566 million paid in 2020.

Note that Diageo is the majority shareholder of Guinness Nigeria through its other subsidiaries, Guinness Overseas Limited and Atalantaf Limited.

Dupixent Approved To Reduce Severe Atopic Dermatitis In Children

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Dupixent Approved To Reduce Severe Atopic Dermatitis In Children
  • Dupixent rapidly improved symptoms after first dose, improving itch in one week and skin clearance in two weeks
  • More than seven times as many patients treated with Dupixent plus topical corticosteroids (TCS) achieved clear or almost clear skin compared to TCS alone at Week 16
  • Dupixent plus TCS reduced overall disease severity by 70% and itch by 49%
  • Results reinforce well-established safety profile of Dupixent – the first ever biologic medicine for atopic dermatitis currently approved for patients as young 6 years old

A pivotal Phase 3 trial evaluating Dupixent® for the treatment of children aged 6 months to 5 years with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis, a chronic type 2 inflammatory disease, met its primary and all secondary endpoints. 

The data show adding Dupixent to the standard of care topical corticosteroids (TCS) significantly reduced overall disease severity and improved skin clearance, itch, and health-related quality of life measures at 16 weeks compared to TCS alone.

Dupixent is the first biologic medicine to show positive results in this young population and remains the only approved biologic medicine in patients 6 years and older with uncontrolled moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis.

The data reinforce the well-established efficacy and safety profile of Dupixent in other age groups including a lower observed rate of skin infection in the Dupixent group compared with placebo. During the 16-week treatment period Dupixent patients were 50% less likely to experience a skin infection (12% Dupixent, 24% placebo), and the total number of infections was nearly 70% lower (11 Dupixent, 34 placebo).

These results add to the extensive LIBERTY AD clinical program – the largest Phase 3 clinical trial program in atopic dermatitis involving approximately 3,500 children, adolescents, and adults to date.

“When a child is diagnosed with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis in the first few months of life, many aspects of their childhood can be significantly impacted. Parents and caregivers are challenged to find safe and effective treatment options,” said John Reed, M.D., Ph.D., Global Head of Research and Development at Sanofi. “Currently, the standard of care for this patient population is topical steroids and other immunosuppressive medicines may be used which can damage delicate skin and, if used long-term, potentially impact growth.

“Knowing that safety is of the utmost importance for physicians and parents when considering treatment options for children and infants, we are encouraged by the results of this trial showing Dupixent addressed the signs and symptoms of atopic dermatitis without broadly suppressing the immune system, demonstrating the potential it could have for these very young patients.”

Atopic dermatitis is a chronic type 2 inflammatory disease, with the age of onset younger than 5 years in 85-90% of patients. The debilitating symptoms that infants and young children with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis experience often continue through adulthood and include intense, persistent itch and skin lesions that can cover much of the body, resulting in skin dryness, cracking, redness or darkening, crusting and oozing – along with the increased risk of skin infections.

Moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis significantly impacts the life of a young child, their parents, and caregivers, including their mood, sleep patterns, and quality of life. In addition, the underlying type 2 inflammation involved in atopic dermatitis can contribute to the development of other atopic diseases, like asthma, that may also appear throughout a person’s life.

“Moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis in infants and young children is incredibly distressing for patients and their caregivers, who manage painful and persistent itch, intensive daily skincare routines such as chlorine baths and wet wraps, as well as sleepless nights for children and their families,” said George D. Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Scientific Officer at Regeneron.

“In fact, when starting this trial, the disease covered more than half of children’s bodies and nearly a third had previously resorted to using immunosuppressive medicines. These data show that Dupixent dramatically reduced the impact of atopic dermatitis on the lives of these young children and their families, by rapidly clearing skin, improving itch, and improving observed patient outcomes including sleep and skin pain. In fact, Dupixent-treated patients experienced nearly 70% fewer skin infections compared to placebo patients.”

Patients received Dupixent every four weeks (200 mg or 300 mg, based on body weight) plus TCS or TCS alone (placebo). The primary endpoints assessed the proportion of patients achieving an Investigator’s Global Assessment (IGA) score of 0 (clear) or 1 (almost clear) and 75% improvement in Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI-75). The pre-specified primary analysis showed that at 16 weeks patients treated with Dupixent:

  • 28% achieved clear or almost clear skin compared to 4% with placebo, the primary endpoint.
  • 53% achieved 75% or greater overall disease improvement from baseline compared to 11% with placebo (p=<0.0001), the co-primary endpoint outside of the U.S.
  • 70% average improvement from baseline in EASI compared to 20% improvement with placebo (p=<0.0001).
  • 49% average improvement from baseline in itch compared to 2% improvement in placebo (p<0.0001).
  • Significantly improved measures of observed patient outcomes (including sleep, skin pain and health-related quality of life), as well as caregiver-reported health-related quality of life.

The trial demonstrated similar safety results to the known safety profile of Dupixent in atopic dermatitis. For the 16-week treatment period, overall rates of adverse events (AEs) were 64% for Dupixent and 74% for placebo.

Most common AEs and AEs of special interest included nasopharyngitis (8% Dupixent, 9% placebo), upper respiratory tract infection (6% Dupixent, 8% placebo) and conjunctivitis (5% Dupixent, 0% placebo), herpes viral infections (6% Dupixent, 5% placebo) and injection site reactions (2% Dupixent, 3% placebo).

Dupixent is a fully human monoclonal antibody that inhibits the signaling of the interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-13 (IL-13) pathways. It is not an immunosuppressant and does not require lab monitoring. IL-4 and IL-13 are key and central drivers of the type 2 inflammation that plays a major role in atopic dermatitis, asthma, and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRSwNP).

Detailed results from this trial will be presented at a future medical meeting, and data will be submitted to regulatory authorities. In 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation for Dupixent for the treatment of severe atopic dermatitis (in children aged 6 months to 11 years of age). The use of Dupixent in children younger than 6 years of age with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis is currently under clinical investigation and its safety and efficacy have not been fully evaluated by any regulatory authority.

About the Dupixent Trial

LIBERTY AD PRESCHOOL is a two-part Phase 2/3 trial. The Phase 3 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (Part B) evaluated the efficacy and safety of Dupixent added to standard-of-care low-potency TCS compared to low-potency TCS alone (placebo) in 162 children aged 6 months to 5 years with uncontrolled moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis.

The primary endpoints assessed the proportion of patients achieving an IGA score of 0 (clear) or 1 (almost clear) and 75% improvement in EASI-75 at 16 weeks. EASI measures extent and severity of the disease. It was assessed using a 0-10 numerical rating scale. Patients treated with Dupixent received either 200 mg (for children weighing ≥5 to <15 kg) or 300 mg (for children weighing ≥15 to <30 kg) every four weeks.

In total, there were 162 patients in the trial, the average age was 3.8 years and 61% were male. Approximately 12% of patients were Latino/Hispanic and 19% were Black/African American. On average, patients entered the trial with atopic dermatitis covering 58% of their body and 29% had previously used systemic immunosuppressants. Further, 81% of these patients had at least one concurrent type 2 inflammatory disease.

Part B of the Phase 3 trial was informed by Part A, an open-label, single-ascending-dose, sequential cohort Phase 2 trial designed to assess the pharmacokinetics and safety of Dupixent in children aged 6 months to 5 years with uncontrolled severe atopic dermatitis.

Children who completed Part A or Part B of the trial were eligible to enroll in an open-label extension trial to assess the safety and efficacy of long-term treatment with Dupixent in this age group.

AstraZeneca, Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya Launch Kamba Ya Shanga

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AstraZeneca, Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya Launch Kamba Ya Shanga

AstraZeneca is pleased to announce its partnership with the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya (PSK) to launch the Kamba Ya Shanga initiative in Kenya, a pharmacy-led end-to-end digitally integrated patient solution for chronic disease management.

The partnership forms part of their shared vision and commitment to work towards a future where all people have access to sustainable healthcare solutions for life-changing treatment.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have compelled healthcare stakeholders to explore new ways of improving health systems, stimulating the advancement of healthcare ecosystems that focus on securing continuum of care and improving treatment outcomes whilst also enhancing the patient experience.

The Kamba Ya Shanga initiative is a pharmacist-led disease management and referral programme aimed at improving patient outcomes for chronic conditions, connecting all key healthcare players along the patient’s disease management journey. Through the programme patients will be uniquely identified by the pharmacist, have their chronic disease treatment and medication monitored, receive support that ensures optimal treatment and correct use of devices; and be seamlessly referred by the Pharmacist to their General Practitioner should further consultation be required.

Dr. Daniella Munene, CEO of Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya (PSK) said: “Pharmacists are very uniquely positioned to expand reach of healthcare services by participating more in the management of chronic diseases. From detection of poorly managed or undiagnosed disease to providing medication therapy management and counselling, pharmacists can have a positive impact on therapeutic outcomes in patients on long-term medication for both communicable and non-communicable diseases.

Barbara Nel, AstraZeneca Country President for African Cluster (South Africa, Sub Sahara and French Speaking Africa) said: “At AstraZeneca we believe that patient experiences and outcomes are our shared responsibility, and that innovation doesn’t happen in isolation. Our Pharmacists play a critical role in the continuance of care for patients, especially in the current landscape. We are delighted to be partnering with PSK in the launch of Kamba Ya Shanga, which is a Swahili term that essentially means ‘a beautiful string of beads’. The string of beads represents the link between the patient, the pharmacist, and the doctor, transforming the ecosystem for patients, whilst enabling pharmacies to direct patients to a relevant healthcare professional and track their progress and response to medication.”

“By joining forces with PSK we look forward to making an even greater positive impact for patients and healthcare practitioners, achieving results that go beyond what any individual stakeholder can achieve. This is the value of partnerships, with the patient at the centre.”

Digitization Of Africa’s Transport Sector As Businesses Experience Post-COVID Recovery

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Digitization Of Africa’s Transport Sector As Businesses Experience Post-COVID Recovery

Digitizing the transport sector has become inevitable. As the different countries adopted different measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, one of the first sectors to be hit hard was the transport sector as the movement of goods and people came to a standstill.

We are seeing the tide turning with the availability of vaccines and the roads and air travel opens up more and more daily. However, businesses operating in the transport sector are having to relook at their operations, especially the need to digitize their payments. The universal quest for leveraging innovative solutions to accomplish customer satisfaction is typified by operators in the transportation industry who are turning to technology to alleviate the many pain points that affect their interactions with their customer base.

Because of the increasing mobile and internet penetration in Africa, consumers have a greater desire for on-the-go payment methods that put all transactional solutions at their fingertips. The majority of travelers now know that purchasing tickets online is not only more convenient but also far more affordable than buying over the counter. Regardless, a number of passengers still endure the stress of physical purchases and those who want to pay online still have trouble paying for tickets digitally. However, most businesses in the transport sector cannot fulfill their customers’ digital payments needs. Because of ancillary service fragmentation in the sector, most businesses today manage multiple Payment Service Providers (PSPs) who power multiple platforms.

Incidentally, PSPs such as Cellulant have been investing in building infrastructure that will help to alleviate travel companies’ struggles and improve the customer experience through an integrated payment system that simplifies the payment process. Five years ago, Kenya Airways partnered with Cellulant to offer a variety of mobile and bank payment options to its online booking customers. This was a first-of-its-kind payment solution that has now opened doors to digitization for the entire transport sector.

In Nigeria, Cellulant is deepening their digital payments platforms to cater to more than airlines to all businesses in the transport sector. Truck and bus drivers in Nigeria are using Cellulant’s technology – Tingg Proximity Pay (In store payments) – in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19, simplify payments between drivers and passengers, as well as assist transport and travel agencies in tracking and collecting revenue, tax, etc. to name a few examples.

According to Sike Bamisebi, Chief Country Officer, Cellulant Nigeria, “Digitizing the entire transport sector is inevitable. In Africa, and reflected in Nigeria, there is a rise in uptake in digitization for Rail and Air travel, but Road remains the major means of transportation of many, accounting for over 60% of commuters yearly. We have found that this is a great opportunity for us to digitize in Nigeria and expand our digital payments to all businesses and truly make an impact in delivering significant economic value in the country.”

In Nigeria, businesses such as GIG and Chisco Transport have begun using Tingg, Cellulant’s Digital payments platform. Although there is an untapped impact for both governments, businesses, and end-users, technology only accounts for 30% in the implementation of digital systems.

“We need to work closely with governments, regulators and businesses to create an ecosystem that removes all of the non-technological barriers so that we can truly transform and gain from the sector. We have the opportunity to rapidly expand the ecosystem of Nigeria, and consequently, Africa’s developing and globally exposed digital natives with an integrated yet simplified payment system,’’ Sike adds.

Transportation is an essential part of human activity, and in many ways forms the basis of all socio-economic interactions. Indeed, no two locations will interact effectively without a viable means of movement. In many developing countries, inadequate transport facilities are often the norm rather than the exception. Thus, a good transport system is essential to support economic growth and development.

BBNaija: Maria, JMK, Sammie Evicted From The Big Brother House

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BBNaija: Maria, JMK, Sammie Evicted From The Big Brother House

Brand Spur Nigeria reports that Maria, JMK, and Sammie have been evicted from the Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) show.

Maria is the second housemate to be evicted from the nominees up for eviction today, others being JMK (Evicted), Pere, Sammie (Evicted), Queen, and cross.

Maria was born in 1992 to a Nigerian father and a white mother; BBNaija Maria is bi-racial but insists she is a regular Nigerian. BBNaija Maria’s father originates from Imo state. Thus, she is of Igbo and white descent.

BBNaija: Maria, JMK, Sammie Evicted From The Big Brother House-Brand Spur Nigeria
BBNaija: Maria, JMK, Sammie Evicted From The Big Brother House-Brand Spur Nigeria

JMK, whose real name is Zainab Jumoke Adedoyin was introduced to the show on Sunday, 8th August as part of four new housemates added after the first eviction of housemates in this season’s show.

Sammie was the only male housemate evicted from the season six edition of the show on Sunday.

 

Addressing Sleep-loss Epidemic Through Technology

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Addressing Sleep-loss Epidemic Through Technology

Sleep deprivation has become a global problem. Can the burgeoning sleep-tech industry provide solutions?

In recent years, sleep loss has become a critical issue, with far-reaching implications for human health and well-being. One in three Americans does not get enough sleep; globally, up to 45 percent of the population doesn’t. In the past few years, the rise of smartwatches, fitness trackers, and other consumer wearables has made it possible to monitor sleep remotely at scale.

The information from these devices is yielding insights that can be used to better understand sleep and find ways to counter sleep loss. Sleep tech is now a growing industry that is drawing new entrants, from start-ups to big tech companies, and attracting the interest of insurance companies, healthcare organizations, employers, and policy makers.

The costs of sleep loss

Sleep loss—particularly the loss of deep (or slow-wave) sleep—is linked to a long list of chronic health conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety, dementia, depression, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes.2 It also affects cognitive function, attention, and decision-making.

Effects of sleep deprivation on your daily life | Genesis Medical

In addition to this detrimental effect on health, sleep deprivation carries high economic costs, estimated at $680 billion a year in five OECD countries—for example, $400 billion for the United States and $60 billion for Germany.4 Similarly, a study calculated that the direct and indirect cost of sleep disorders in Australia equals 1 percent of GDP.

Sleep-related absence from work is thought to account for the loss of ten million working hours a year in the United States, 4.8 million in Japan, and 1.7 million in Germany. Lost sleep also takes a toll on productivity: an analysis using data from US companies puts the annual cost at $1,300 to $3,000 per employee.6 And lost sleep not only impairs the performance of employees at work but also raises healthcare costs for employers.

Countering sleep loss

According to sleep researchers and physicians, people can improve their own sleep by setting consistent sleeping and waking times, increasing early-morning exercise, reducing alcohol and caffeine consumption, and eliminating blue-light exposure from screens for at least an hour before going to bed. For employers, the recommendations include recognizing the importance of sleep to health and performance in the workplace, providing access to amenities such as napping booths and gyms, and discouraging after-hours work.

Sleep technology: Perspectives from academia

Research has shown that consumer wearables can be used to investigate the relation of sleep to demographic, socioeconomic, and lifestyle factors and to various markers of health and aging.

As wearables become increasingly common, remote monitoring could become a helpful tool for physicians seeking to develop a better understanding of sleep and to find effective ways of treating its disorders.

In February 2021, we interviewed a number of academics to get their perspectives on sleep technology.

Dr. Phyllis Zee, professor of neurology and head of the Division of Sleep Medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, told us that “Having an understanding of light exposure and sleep-wake activity patterns for millions of people will help us further define what healthy or abnormal sleep really looks like.” But Dr. Weng Khong Lim, an assistant professor at the Duke-NUS Medical School, in Singapore, pointed to the need for “an evidence base for the utility of consumer-grade wearables in picking up sleep disorders” before these devices can be used to monitor sleep at scale.

Noting that large-scale clinical studies in cardiovascular medicine have generated enough evidence for the US Food and Drug Administration to approve the use of some smart watches for detecting atrial fibrillation, Dr. Lim told us that “similar work will have to be done in the sleep-disorder space to generate trust among the clinical community in consumer devices.”

Remote monitoring via wearables could become a helpful tool for physicians seeking to better understand sleep disorders.

Dr. Colin Espie, professor of sleep medicine at the University of Oxford, also wanted more evidence. He pointed out that “claims that sleep-monitoring wearables can aid sleep disorders have yet to be validated in large-scale randomized control trials, especially with regard to debilitating health issues, like insomnia and comorbidity.” Dr. Espie also noted that technology can have a detrimental effect, causing stress and making people sleep less well. Moreover, he told us that people’s complaints about sleep “don’t necessarily match up to the measurements taken by wearables, due to [their] crudeness” and worried that “the belief that a device is helping you manage [a condition like hypertension or insomnia] may distract you from seeking out genuine clinical advice.”

Using behavioral data to improve sleep

Consumer wearables could be valuable for collecting data about sleep behavior, such as whether individuals have regular bedtimes or sleep longer at weekends. The use of technology to gain insights into this kind of behavior could help people take constructive steps to improve their sleep.

Dr. Ingo Fietze, head of the Interdisciplinary Center of Sleep Medicine at the Charité hospital in Berlin, emphasized to us that when scaled up across populations, behavioral data could revolutionize our understanding of sleep.

“The more we know about the sleep behavior of the population, the better we can identify intercultural and gender differences and learn about the influence of light, temperature, noise, and humidity. The better we understand sleep, the easier it is to intervene and propose recommendations for shift work or flexible working hours, jet lag, school, competitive sports, and work in extreme situations like the Arctic, outer space, and the desert.”

The Rise of Health Technology

Some health-tech companies already use behavioral data to help individuals adopt better sleep habits. Behavioral data from sleep trackers, for example, can support techniques such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which has been shown in clinical trials to be effective in treating insomnia and other sleep disorders.

How to Sleep Better - HelpGuide.org

CBT is traditionally provided on a one-to-one basis by specialists, so scaling up the therapy across large populations is difficult. But research into new digital CBT interventions suggests that they can provide an effective, cost-efficient treatment for insomnia.

One early adopter of remote sleep-monitoring techniques is the California-based healthcare company ResMed, which offers devices and digital health technologies to treat sleep apnea. Patients can access their personal data, use CBT applications to treat their condition, and monitor their progression and improvement. Jim Hollingshead, the company’s president of sleep and respiratory care, notes that 87 percent of the remotely and self-monitored patients using ResMed products adhere to their therapies.

According to him, the data collected in this way are “opening the door to over 8.5 billion nights’ worth of clinical sleep and respiratory data that can help us further understand the link between sleep disorders and other chronic conditions such as diabetes.”

He adds that from a business perspective, combining diagnosis, treatment, and tracking has “significant implications for future growth and profitability.” Remote monitoring reduces costs for patients and payers alike, while treatment and adherence help improve the quality of care and ensure reimbursement.

Health-insurance companies may accelerate the trend toward remote sleep monitoring as they come to see its value. In cases of suspected sleep apnea, for instance, most US payers recommend an initial screening using a sleep test at home before they will reimburse an overnight stay in a sleep clinic. That approach saves time and effort for the patient and reduces the costs associated with inpatient screening.

Some insurance companies already provide their clients with free or subsidized wearables to encourage healthier habits and reduce long-term healthcare costs, and the ability to detect sleep disorders could be an additional bonus for businesses and individuals using these devices. In parallel, health-insurance payers could continue to explore reimbursement structures for sleep-related telemedicine and consider expanding coverage to home monitoring.

Participating in digital health ecosystems

Increasingly, health insurers and other companies are building digital health ecosystems: broad, platform-based services that cut across traditional healthcare silos and span much of the patient journey, such as telemedicine plus health insurance and a digital pharmacy. Sleep-tech companies could participate in these emerging ecosystems through partnerships with other health-tech companies or with health-insurance companies or by expanding into broader digital health offerings.

They could address a dual opportunity by supporting patients with sleep-related disorders and helping healthy people to enhance their well-being and cognitive performance through better sleep.

Looking ahead, participants in health-tech ecosystems could take constructive steps to capture the potential economic and social benefits of sleep technology:

  • Employers seeking to enhance the sleep health of their workforce could ensure that healthcare plans include preventive care for sleep disorders–ideally as part of broader well-being packages that also support nutrition, fitness, and stress management.
  • Insurance companies and others building digital health ecosystems could explore remote approaches for diagnosing and treating sleep disorders and for tracking adherence to sleep-improvement interventions. They could also include such interventions in their well-being offerings for the healthy insured population.
  • Sleep-tech companies could conduct large-scale randomized and controlled trials for individual products in order to investigate whether consumer wearables have causal links to enhanced natural sleep or deep sleep. They could also cooperate with clinicians and academics to develop clinically accepted measurements of sleep quality and to ensure that doctors treating sleep disorders do not receive potentially misleading data from consumer wearables.
  • The sleep-tech industry as a whole could consider setting up industry bodies and encouraging self-regulation to show which companies and products adhere to established clinical practice and to distinguish between products supporting clinical health (such as CBT apps) and those promoting well-being (such as meditation apps).

Pharma, medtech, and wellness companies interested in expanding into sleep tech could improve their chances of success by observing a few guiding principles. First, they could structure online and offline partnerships that take into account the entire patient journey for insomnia or sleep apnea, investigate diseases that have a sleep component, and add sleep-related services to disease-specific offerings.

Second, they could create value with partners by integrating new business offerings (such as remote sleep monitoring or online diagnostics, adherence, and treatment) into the existing core business (for instance, R&D for medtech devices, physical services, or hospital treatment).

Third, they could create value for all ecosystem participants by providing consumers with 24/7 access to digital monitoring and diagnostics, offering payers and insurers reduced care costs and improved prevention, and giving healthcare providers opportunities to enhance the experience of their patients, to increase the utilization of their facilities, and to extend their capacity through digital enablement.

Sleep loss has a detrimental long-term effect on the well-being of individuals, businesses, and economies. Consumer wearables and sleep technology are in their infancy, and further research is needed to establish an evidence base for their effectiveness. Yet these emerging tools hold considerable promise for understanding, managing, and enhancing sleep-related health and well-being.

Heineken Named Beer Of The Decade

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Heineken Named Beer Of The Decade

World’s premium beer brand, Heineken has won a Medal of Gold as Outstanding Premium Lager Brand of the Decade.

This decoration is courtesy respected Nigerian business magazine Marketing Edge. Heineken is the only Nigerian beer brand so honoured, during an elite event in Lagos on Friday, August 27, 2021.

Marketing Edge publisher John Ajayi says the award is ‘‘in recognition of the brand’s cumulative strategic initiatives over the years, alongside its unmatched consumer trend forecasting in the country.’’

The bulk of Heineken’s popularity stems from its unique blend of excellent ingredients that impart a distinct flavor, providing beer drinkers across the country with a premium experience. Beyond the sensory pleasure, it delivers; it extends its impact on consumers’ lives through its groundbreaking initiatives.

Heineken asserts a claim to superiority, as evidenced by its campaigns in the last decade, from dominating the lifestyle sector by rebranding the annual Lagos Fashion Week.

Heineken Named Beer Of The Decade

The fashion exhibition founded by Omoyemi Akerele showcases the best creatives in Nigeria’s fashion industry and has served as a conduit between local creators and international fashion brands, breathing life into their creative processes through mentoring and masterclasses. One of such initiatives has plunged Heineken into a household name in the fashion world.

The worldwide beer brand didn’t stop at the Lagos Fashion Week; it also signed a ten-year sponsorship deal with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). As a matter of fact, the Heineken-UEFA relationship was birthed in 1994 and its presence in over 190 markets around the world, continues to imprint its impact on the football community.

Kindling the kindred spirit of football lovers in Nigeria, it launched the #NeverWatchingAlone campaign to encourage communal viewing of football matches. For the 2021 UEFA Champions League finals, it convened football lovers in Abuja, with special appearances from Nancy Isime, Uti Nwachukwu, and Samantha Walsh. Likewise, its UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour, helps fans experience the trophy; touring over 35 cities across the world, including a recent tour to Lagos, Nigeria in April 2019.

Heineken’s top-notch business practices are not left out of its merit for the Beer of the Decade Award as guided by the Heineken Code of Business Conduct (Heicode), positioning it as an unrivaled consumer-focused brand, which at its core is driven by innovation, creativity, and connectivity.

Seeing Heineken initiatives are uniquely tailored to enrich consumers’ lifestyles and uplift values, Heineken’s partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) is one of its sustainability initiatives focused on increased water conservation, clean energy production, and local material sourcing, to benefit the immediate community of its operations.

The campaign which commenced in 2015 in the Ibadan region of the Ogun-Oshun catchment area, has had a tremendous impact spanning thousands of homes, local businesses, and communities across the years.

The Heineken brand truly has a midas touch as it has become a symbol of excellence and community in all fields, including sports, fashion, entertainment, environmental sustainability and so much more.

Sanwo-Olu Bags Outstanding Political Brand Icon Of The Year

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Sanwo-Olu Bags Outstanding Political Brand Icon Of The Year

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has been honoured as the Outstanding Political Brand Icon of the Year by Veterans in the Brands and Advertising industry.

According to a press statement made available to Brand Spur Nigeria, the honour is in recognition of Sanwo-Olu’s exceptional leadership ability and managerial excellence he usually brings to bear in turning around challenging crisis to opportunities.

It is also in recognition of his administration’s efforts to always have an emotional connection with the electorates who, from the brand and marketing perspective are the target audience.

Sanwo-Olu received the prestigious prize at the 8th Marketing Stakeholders’ Summit held at the weekend at D’Podium International Event Centre in Ikeja, where industry practitioners across the country gathered to celebrate the Governor.

Sanwo-Olu Bags Outstanding Political Brand Icon Of The Year-Brand Spur Nigeria
Sanwo-Olu Bags Outstanding Political Brand Icon Of The Year-Brand Spur Nigeria

The event, with the theme: “Rethinking the Blue Ocean Strategy in Uncertain Times”, was organised by Marketing EDGE, a brand-focused magazine.

Members of the State’s Executive Council and those of All Progressives Congress (APC) led by the party’s chairman in Lagos, Hon. Tunde Balogun, joined the Governor to receive the award.

Sanwo-Olu, who is also named Marketing Ambassador, pledged his commitment to the growth of the profession by sustaining the State’s investment in requisite infrastructure that would create a resilient economy and city in which the Brand and Advertising industry would thrive.

The Governor acknowledged the transformation recorded in the industry, which, he said, has been occasioned by the injection of funds into the creative sector to support the growth of local advertisers. The outcome, he noted, has ended the period when practitioners needed to fly to Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg in South Africa before shooting good television commercials for their clients.

He said: “Today is for celebrating ourselves, our craft and achievements as marketing communications professionals. Over the last five decades, the marketing communications profession has evolved remarkably to become a window for the world to see the creativity that resides within us.

“The story has continued to change with improvement and global visibility. Let me assure you, it can only get better from here. The infrastructure we are creating are gradually giving you the scenic settings you require for great Television Commercials that can earn more prestigious laurels from across the world.”

Sanwo-Olu told the gathering that his administration was not unaware of the greater impact which a flourishing creative sector and advanced technology would have on the growth of brands, stressing that his Government was currently supporting thousands of youths in the creative sector in order to boost capacity and knowledge.

He added that 3,000 metro fibre optics being rolled out across the State would also boost quality of the output in the Brand and Marketing industry when the fast Internet infrastructure is launched.

Sanwo-Olu Bags Outstanding Political Brand Icon Of The Year-Brand Spur Nigeria
Sanwo-Olu Bags Outstanding Political Brand Icon Of The Year-Brand Spur Nigeria

“All of these are to let you know that my administration is a part of the marketing and marketing communications family. I know the importance of the industry and I am committed to its continued growth. That is the reason we are building a resilient and livable city that you and your clients will someday be proud of,” Sanwo-Olu said.

The Governor said Lagos had benefited immensely from the ingenuity and knowledge of brand and advertising practitioners, recalling some of the strategic counsel he received from industry professionals during the trying days of his administration.

Sanwo-Olu expressed his gratitude to the industry practitioners for founding him worthy of the honour and promised he would always rely on expertise in the industry to achieve his goals as the Chief Marketing Officer of Lagos State.

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