Stanbic IBTC, LiveWell Initiative Advocate for Healthy Living

Martins Ifijeh

One of Nigeria’s foremost financial services institution, Stanbic IBTC and a non governmental organisation, the Livewell Initiative, have called on Nigerians to live a healthy lifestyle as it represents a guarantee for longevity and sound health.

Speaking during the institution’s annual health week grand finale in Lagos, the Chief Executive Officer of Stanbic IBTC Bank, Mr. Yinka Sanni, said Nigerians should take their health seriously, as well as get awareness on the various common health issues in the country, as these would help them live healthy.

He said the health week has brought more enlightenment to staff of the organisation on how to take care of their health, adding that, “inasmuch as our staff work hard across the country to put smiles on the faces of customers, their health is very essential. When the workers and their families are healthy, they naturally make better input in their work. And today, we know we have achieved that because a lot of awareness and free testings have been done,” he noted.

According to him, the health week has also brought families of staff together, as this would bring more bonding.

He said the bank was also involved in several corporate social responsibilities across the country. “Among other CSRs, we are presently supporting limbless children in the north who may have lost limbs due to the Boko Haram attacks. We are providing limbs, treatments and empowerment for them,” he added.

Also, the CEO, LiveWell Initiative, Pharm. Bisi Bright, who partnered with the bank on the health week, explained that the event, among others, gave room for the staff of Stanbic IBTC and their families to get free testing on Hepatitis B and C, HIV, malaria, oral health, prostrate, breast and cervical cancer, dental health, body composition, among others.

Bright said she was proud of the bank who had shown that the health of their staff matters, adding that other organisations should take a queue from this because the health of any staff was very important to the productivity of such organisation.

Lending her voice, the Head, Wellness Unit, Total Health Trust, Funke Aghedo, who gave various nutritional health tips, said the choice of food determines the health of such person, hence it was imperative that whoever wants to live healthy must eat right.

She called on Nigerians not to wash food in the kitchen sink, but rather wash them in bowls, adding that kitchen sinks were full of bacteria. Also, “people should not leave their iron spoon in a pot of food, especially hot food, because the metallic spoon secrets substances, which when mixed with the food may be toxic to the human body,” she noted.

Aghedo, who called on Nigerians to be aware of their sugar and salt level, said natural foods were better than processed food, adding that most processed foods were without nutrients and could be harmful.