ROAD SAFETY KITS PRESENTATION CEREMONY

On the 9th of November 2007, NICO Holdings Limited, BP Malawi, Unilever, and Total Malawi together donated scholar patrol equipment to Government primary schools in a ceremony that took place at Catholic Institute (CI) Primary School in Blantyre. The donation comes at a time when there is an increase of accidents on the roads of Malawi.

According to the National Road Safety Council (NRSC), this year's bi-annual report on accident statistics indicate that approximately 2340 traffic accidents have occurred between January and September this year alone. There have been 375 deaths of which 43 are children of school going age.

The guest of honour at the ceremony, Minister of Transport, Public Works and Housing Honourable Henry Mussa (MP), hailed the corporate citizens for uniting in the fight to reduce road accidents particularly those involving school going children.

"It pleases me to see companies complementing Government efforts in improving road safety in this country. I am sure that with this unity, road traffic accidents involving school going children will be tied and tied tightly." said the Honourable Minister. "As you are aware, the Government of Malawi has placed emphasis on road safety and is investing in the road sector management programmes that have already started yielding positive results in stopping the carnage on our roads."

On behalf of NICO Holdings Limited, BP Malawi, Unilever, and Total Malawi, Mr Collin Mpofu, Managing Director of Unilever, presented the scholar patrol equipment to the Ministry of Transport which in turn donated to the Ministry of Education.

The companies have promises that at the end of this project, 100 primary schools especially those along the roads will benefit. Accidents involving school children have occurred either when the children are going to or coming from school. " ...we set up a project team with a clear brief to carry out a detailed risk assessment to identify priority areas for action to improve road safety in Malawi." Said Mpofu.

"The main objectives, among others were to develop a road safety campaign to augment Government efforts and other key stake holders and to raise awareness on the need for more involvement by the corporate entities." he said.

NICO BLANTYRE CITY MARATHON
… Planning to turn the marathon into an international event

CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON THE EVENT

NICO HOLDINGS LIMITED SPONSORS THE FOURTH  NICO/ BLANTYRE CITY ASSEMBLY MARATHON

NICO Holdings Limited presented a cheque to the amount of  MK 2.6 Million  to Athletics Association of Malawi for this year’s NICO/ Blantyre City Assembly Marathon.  For the fourth year in a row, NICO Holdings Limited has sponsored this annual event, continuing it’s commitment to help promote and advance sports in the country as a whole and athletics in particular. The event will take place on the 9th of September when athletes will run 42 kms.

NICO Group’s Corporate Affairs Manager, Linda Khombe Banda said NICO Holdings believes in giving back to the community which is why several subsidiaries within the group have sponsored several events.  NICO Life sponsored golf and netball, NBS Bank sponsored Porters race, and soon NICO General will sponsor Golf.
 
“At NICO Holdings we believe in giving back to the community in which we conduct our business. Furthermore we also believe that ‘healthy bodies make a healthy nation’ therefore, we would like to develop upcoming talent and we feel athletics is one of the fields which need encouragement and support,” she said.

This year’s sponsorship has been raised from MK1.9 Million last year.

In her closing speech on behalf of NICO Holdings Limited, she expressed her gratitude to the Athletics Association of Malawi, Blantyre City Assembly, and other organizations who are working hard to make this coming event a success.

NICO HOLDINGS PRESENTS AIR TICKETS TO TWO POLYTECHNIC LECTURER

Towards the end of 2006, NICO Holdings Limited embarked on facilitating a blend of training regimes through a partnership exchange program between the University of Malawi and Texas Southern University in the USA.  The objective is to assist the nation in developing leaders who are able to keep their eyes on the “big picture” of their businesses while being aware of global business drivers, key trends and changes.  This program is sponsored by AFRICAP, one of NICO Holdings Limited’s shareholders.

At a brief presentation ceremony which was held at NICO Holdings Head Office, Company Secretary Betty Kacelenga presented air tickets to two Polytechnic Lecturers, Mr. Admore Kamanga and Mr. Chinsinsi Chidule, who are the pioneers in this endeavor.  The two are going to read for a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) at Jesse H Jones School of Business at Texas Southern University in Houston Texas.

The objective of this partnership is to promote:

• The exchange of staff and students for the mutual benefit of the two Universities.
• Collaboration in teaching, research and development and consultancy studies.
• The exchange of academic materials and publications
• Strategic course development
• The provision of cultural and intellectual enrichment opportunities for staff and students.

Under the staff exchange program, the activities will include:

• Joint Research
• Curriculum development and review
• Attendance of courses and upgrading of teaching and research skills
• Participating in seminars and other types of academic discussions
• Contributing to teaching programs
• Attachment of faculty from either to supervise post-graduate students
• Conducting study tours and joint consultancy work

Under the student exchange initiative the activities will include:

• Research Participation
• Participation in taught courses
• Involvement in study tours

Speaking on behalf of the NICO Group, Kacelenga said the Company acknowledges the fact that the world has become one global village, and therefore, we can not continue to do business in isolation if we have to succeed.  With globalization, comes the challenge of finding people with solid leadership abilities.  Leaders who can manage within a variety of geographical locations while building a common corporate culture.

“A winning business strategy, therefore, is one with the capacity to constantly adjust the balance between global corporate interests and the local culture.  This balancing act has been referred to as achieving consistency while allowing flexibility.

“There are many ways to achieve the appropriate balance between global and local systems and practices.  NICO Holdings Limited has opted to intervene at the tertiary level, the stage at which people focus their visions,” said Kacelenga 

She said it is the intention of NICO, through this exercise, to continue to identify itself with the community in which it operates by extending tangible assistance to the Malawian people for the sustainable development of the nation. 

NICO HOLDINGS LIMITED'S 10th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS

NICO Holdings Limited was the first company to list on the Malawi Stock Exchange. It did so on the 11th November, 1996. On 1st December 2006, NICO Holdings Limited celebrated a decade as a publicly listed company by hosting a cocktail party at its Ryall’s Hotel subsidiary in Blantyre - for its corporate clients and some of the shareholders.

Since becoming a public listed company, NICO Holdings Limited has been transformed into the country’s leading financial services company. NICO Holdings Limited is a corporate leader built on solid foundations, and stands for quality, reliability, strength, professionalism, high ethical standards and commitment.

NICO’S HIV/AIDS MARCH

Apart from business activities, NICO Nico Holdings Limited plays its part in corporate social responsibility through various corporate social investment programmes.

On last year’s World AIDS Day, members of staff of the NICO Group, as responsible citizens of Malawi, organised a march as part of its anniversary celebrations. They took to the streets to join hands in the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic by raising awareness of this global pandemic. The members of staff marched from NBS Bank to NICO House carrying banners with awareness messages. In an attention-getting move they were led by the Malawi Police Band.

NBS PUBLIC LISTING

NICO Holdings Limited which had a 74% shareholding in NBS Bank has reduced its stakes with 14% which was offered to the public through the listing of NBS bank on the Malawi Stock Exchange.

As a result of this, NICO Holdings Limited has remained the major share holder with 60% shareholding. Currently the public holds 11% in NICO and the move is in line with NICO Holdings Limited's philosophy of diversifying shareholders in its companies through the public.

NICO Holdings Limited took over majority shareholding when as part of privatization programme, government reduced its shareholding from 51% to 26% by selling 25% to NICO Holdings Limited. Lonrho was divesting from Malawi and all its shareholding of 24.5% was also sold to NICO Holdings Limited who had used its pre-emptive rights to buy the shares.

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