Corporate Social Responsibility Philosophy

In 1999 the Bank had a major policy rethink in the area of corporate social responsibility to strengthen direct involvement in its primary operational environment in such a way that the resultant impact is maximized for society's most needy. The policy on Corporate Social Responsibility is essentially driven by the imperative to directly and positively touch the lives of its stakeholders, with special emphasis on the indigent section of the society. That way, the resultant impact is maximized for society's most needy. In this respect, the Bank does not act through third party charity organizations and care givers. Instead we get involved directly.

Our CSR initiatives over the years, and in the year under review, have focused on health care, sports, education and youth development, the arts, philanthropy and charitable activities. Our highlights speak volumes:

Health Care

The Annual Eye Expedition Diamond Bank/Eye Foundation Hospital Free Eye Expedition Programme is our flagship project in the new policy thrust.

The first expedition under the programme kicked off in 1999 at Emekuku, near Owerri, Imo State. Over 1,500 people were screened for various eye ailments. Of this number, 500 received free eyeglasses and 22 cataract surgery operations were performed free.

• The scope of this expedition was expanded in 2001, on the occasion of the Bank's 10th Anniversary, with outings in three locations around the country, namely, Epe in Lagos state, Awo-Omanma in Imo State and Gwagwalada, near Abuja. A total of 110 free cataract surgeries were performed in the course of these three expeditions, apart from the free eye screenings.
• In 2002 a new dimension was introduced in the expedition with the Diamond Bank partnering with the Eye Foundation Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos, the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, the World Health Organization and other agencies in carrying out 1,000 free cataract surgeries. During this exercise, over 2000 persons were screened for various eye ailments, with a total of N5 million expended on surgeries.
• In 2003, the expedition moved to Abakiliki, Ebonyi State, where experts from the Eye Foundation Hospital performed 125 surgical operations.
• In 2005, the expedition went to Damaturu, Yobe State where over 5,000 persons were screened for various eye ailments and 225 surgeries performed.

The Annual free Eye Expedition is a demonstration of Diamond Bank's frontline role in advancing social causes. The Bank is virtually without rival in this specialized area of healthcare provisioning for charity.

Investment in Education and Youth Development

Diamond Bank continues to foster productive behavior and wellbeingamong youths in Nigeria through learning and extracurricular activities. We have huge investments in this area, the underlying objective being the need to engage youths positively to reduce delinquency and involvement in societal ills.

We have carved a niche in our support towards alleviating transport problems of tertiary institutions. The Bank has donated brand new Toyota Coaster buses to Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, the University of Jos, University of Nigeria Nsukka, the University of Lagos, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt and the Niger Delta University, Bayelsa State.

As part of our resolve to deepen the quality of Nigerian professionals and reduce the incidence of brain drain, we entered a sponsorship agreement with the British Council to execute a two-pronged programme in which our organizations will assist young Nigerian professionals develop their careers The programme contains the Management Express and the Education UK Marketing events. The programme was designed in response to the market research conducted by the British Council among customer groups, which revealed a need for affordable professional and personal development opportunities in the area of management and leadership.

Madonna School for the Handicapped Children

At the Madonna School for the Handicapped Children, in Okpanam, near Asaba in Delta State, the Bank identified with the acute accommodation shortage for students who had for six years been housed in a private home. Six Million Naira (N6.0m) was spent for the construction of a special dormitory for the pupils with special needs at the permanent site of the institution. The dormitory has the capacity to accommodate 88 of such handicapped children with their caregivers. But it soon became obvious that the school lacked the funds to adequately equip the completed dormitory and so the Bank responded once more by furnishing the building with double bunk beds, mattresses, pillows, bed sheets and lock-up cupboards.

Annual D-TAP Kiddies Free Educational Holiday to the United Kingdom

Each year, Diamond Bank sponsors ten children to the annual D-TAP Kiddies Free Educational Holiday to the United Kingdom. The trip, which is a mixture of learning and holiday making on an international scene, aims to broaden the world view of these children while they are still in their most impressionable ages.

Undergraduate Scholarships

The Bank recently established a relationship with an Aba based NGO, the Tabitha David Care Foundation, to help the organization achieve its objective of awarding scholarships to 10,000 indigent Nigerian undergraduates. Already, 150 students have benefited in the maiden scholarship awards in 2007.

SPORTS AND RECREATION

Diamond Bank prides itself as one of the foremost supporter and promoter of sports/recreation. This is based on our belief in the philosophy of building a sound mind in a sound body. To this end, we have consistently supported several sporting events including the under listed:

Love for Golf

Over the years, we have sponsored several golf tournaments, mainly the Nigeria Cup and the India Golf Cup, both of which take place annually at the Ikoyi Club, Lagos.

Polo championship

Polo is emotionally powerful, through the combination of a fast exciting sport with beautiful athletic horses. Diamond Bank supports the annual Katsina polo tournament amongst others.

West Africa Universities Games

The Bank took a bold step in 2006 to sponsor the West African Universities Games hosted by the University of Lagos. Following the successes of this event, the Bank has agreed in-principle to sponsor the 2008 Nigerian Universities Games which will be hosted by the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

Philanthropy and Charitable Activities

Diamond Bank is a member of the Arrive Alive Road Safety Initiative in collaboration with Chevron Nigeria and six other companies established to encourage road safety thereby reducing the risks associated with road usage.

The Bank also contributes to the fight against the HIV/AIDS scourge through its staunch support for the Nigerian Business Coalition Against AIDS (NIBUCAA), an NGO made up of companies that are committed to providing leadership towards advancing the national response to the pandemic.

Support for SME

Diamond Bank's gallant strides in supporting Small and Medium Enterprises have been signposted by the Bright Ideas project in which ten start-up companies where financed from a scratch. In 2005, the Bank adopted a new philosophy of 'Giving Life to Bright Ideas.' The Bright Ideas philosophy was centered on the theme of supporting creative ideas and entrepreneurship. The Bank adopted this completely new and exciting approach as a pointer to the future both from a business point of view and from the stand point of national development and economic growth.

The funding of the ten start-up SMEs marked the consummation of the Bank's promise. The development which set a record as the first time any financial institution will pick fresh candidates for entrepreneurial development training and funding, is set to create several jobs for Nigerians, contribute to the wealth creation drive of the Government and sets the trend for future investments in corporate social responsibility.

The companies which will soon dot Nigeria's economic landscape operate in significant areas ranging from bio-diesel production, medicare services, homecare services, and food production among other economically beneficial sectors which will directly impact on the lives of Nigerians.