Union Bank renovates Lagos school

Union Bank of Nigeria has upgraded learning infrastructure at Ansar-Ud-Deen Primary School, Ebute-Metta, Lagos, through a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project delivered under its employee volunteering programme, UnionCares.

The intervention, conceived and executed by members of the bank’s 2022–2024 Management Trainee cohort, is part of the lender’s broader strategy to embed social impact into employee development while addressing critical gaps in underserved communities.

The project delivered new toilet facilities for both teachers and pupils, renovated classrooms, a functional borehole for clean water access, a generating set to improve power supply reliability, and learning materials to support classroom activities.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Union Bank’s Chief Brand and Marketing Officer, Olufunmilola Aluko, said the initiative demonstrates the impact of employee-driven community engagement when properly supported and guided.

She said: “This project is proof of what happens when young professionals are trusted with purpose. Our 2022–2024 Management Trainees didn’t just complete a CSR mandate — they identified a need, rallied around it, and delivered real change for real children. At Union Bank, we believe impact begins from within, and UnionCares exists to channel the talent and passion of our people into communities that need it most.”

Aluko noted that the programme reflects a shift in how the bank approaches CSR, moving from traditional corporate donations to structured employee participation that links workplace development with community transformation.

According to her, empowering staff—especially early-career professionals—to design and implement social impact projects strengthens both institutional culture and long-term community outcomes.

The bank said the Ebute-Metta intervention aligns with its broader commitment to improving educational infrastructure, particularly in low-income and underserved areas where access to basic amenities such as clean water, sanitation and reliable electricity remains limited.

Residents and school administrators at Ansar-Ud-Deen Primary School described the intervention as timely, noting that poor facilities had long affected teaching and learning conditions.

Union Bank added that the initiative is part of its sustained investment in community development, health, education and youth empowerment programmes across Nigeria.

The financial institution reaffirmed its commitment to leveraging its resources, expertise and workforce to deliver impactful CSR projects that go beyond philanthropy and create measurable improvements in living and learning conditions.

It said programmes like UnionCares are designed to ensure that corporate responsibility is not treated as a standalone activity, but as an integrated part of employee experience and institutional purpose.

Union Bank stressed that it will continue to scale similar interventions in other communities, with a focus on sustainability, inclusiveness and long-term social impact.