Seven-Up Bottling Company Ltd. (SBC) has strengthened its longstanding relationship with the Apapa-Iganmu community in Lagos with the renovation and upgrade of the Sari Primary Health Centre.
The intervention, carried out in partnership with the Apapa-Iganmu Local Council Development Area (LCDA), is aimed at improving access to primary healthcare and strengthening the capacity of the facility to provide essential services to residents.
The renovated centre was unveiled on September 28 in the presence of traditional rulers, government officials, community leaders, healthcare professionals and SBC executives.
Among those at the event were Sari El-Khalil, SBC Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, HRM Oba Abdulfatai Oyeyinka Aremu Aromire II, the Ojora of Ijora and Iganmu Kingdom; Executive Chairman of Apapa-Iganmu LCDA, Jimoh Olawale Saliu; and Chairman of the House Committee on Health, Lawal Aina Musbau.
For SBC, the project carries significance beyond corporate social responsibility.
Apapa-Iganmu is closely linked to the company’s Nigerian history, having hosted the facility where the first bottle of 7UP rolled off the production line in Nigeria in 1960.
More than six decades later, SBC says its relationship with the community has evolved into a broader partnership focused on social investment, community development and residents’ wellbeing.
Speaking at the unveiling, El-Khalil said host communities remained an important part of the company’s growth and operations.
“Everything that Seven-Up Bottling Company does is part of the community, and everything that the community does is part of Seven-Up Bottling Company,” he said.
“Our communities and people are a pillar of our strength. Their wellbeing matters to us, and that is why we keep identifying areas where our intervention can create meaningful, lasting impact.”
El-Khalil said the company’s commitment to giving back was reflected in initiatives covering education, youth development, healthcare and community wellbeing.
He cited the Pepsi Football Academy and the Seven-Up Harvard Business School Scholarship, through which 16 Nigerians have so far received sponsorship to study at Harvard Business School.
The Sari Primary Health Centre project focused on areas considered critical to improving healthcare delivery.
The intervention included the renovation of the maternity ward, construction and equipping of a laboratory, and installation of solar power infrastructure to provide a more reliable electricity supply.
The upgrades are expected to improve the centre’s capacity to provide maternal and primary healthcare services while creating a more functional environment for patients, families and healthcare workers.
The project also aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 3, which focuses on ensuring healthy lives and promoting wellbeing for people of all ages. Good Health and Well-being is one of the seven priority Sustainable Development Goals identified under SBC’s sustainability agenda.
