By Destiny Obinna
Seven-Up Bottling Company Ltd. (SBC) has rehabilitated and upgraded the Sari-Iganmu Primary Health Centre in Apapa-Iganmu Local Council Development Area, LCDA, Lagos, as part of efforts to improve access to quality healthcare and strengthen the wellbeing of its host community.
The intervention, undertaken in collaboration with the Apapa-Iganmu LCDA, included the renovation of the maternity ward, construction and equipping of a laboratory and installation of solar power infrastructure to support more reliable operations at the facility.
The upgraded health centre was unveiled on September 28, 2026, with the ceremony attended by SBC Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Sari El-Khalil; the Ojora of Ijora and Iganmu Kingdom, HRM Oba Abdulfatai Oyeyinka Aremu Aromire II; Executive Chairman of Apapa-Iganmu LCDA, Hon. Jimoh Olawale Saliu; Chairman, House Committee on Health, Hon. Lawal Aina Musbau, as well as community leaders, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders.
Speaking at the event, El-Khalil said the intervention reflected SBC’s long-standing commitment to the people and communities where it operates.
He recalled that Apapa-Iganmu holds a special place in the history of SBC, noting that the company rolled out its first bottle from the community in 1960.
According to him, the company’s relationship with Apapa-Iganmu has evolved over more than six decades from a business connection into a shared commitment to the wellbeing and development of the community.
“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. Our communities and people are a pillar of our strength. Their wellbeing matters to us, and this is why we continue to identify areas where our intervention can create meaningful and lasting impact,” he said.
El-Khalil added that SBC’s commitment to giving back to society had been demonstrated through interventions in health, education, youth development and community development.
He cited initiatives including the Pepsi Football Academy and the Seven-Up Harvard Business School Scholarship, which has sponsored 16 Nigerians to attend Harvard Business School.
He said the company’s community interventions were guided by the principle of putting people first, both within its operations and through its social impact initiatives.
Also speaking, Oba Aromire II commended SBC and the El-Khalil family for sustaining their relationship with the community over the years.
The monarch said his relationship with SBC and the El-Khalil family dated back several years, adding that he had witnessed the growth of the company from the generation of the present managing director’s grandfather.
“The relationship has grown through this period beyond business into one built on trust, friendship and a shared commitment to the wellbeing of our people,” Oba Aromire II said.
He commended the company for its continued support for Apapa-Iganmu and its decision to invest in the rehabilitation of the primary healthcare facility.
The Executive Chairman of Apapa-Iganmu LCDA, Saliu, also described the rehabilitation as another demonstration of SBC’s commitment to the development of its host community.
He recalled that the company had implemented other initiatives in the area, including its Plastic Waste for Product, P4P, initiative, a plastic buy-back programme launched in 2025 to address plastic pollution while creating economic opportunities for residents.
The rehabilitation of the Sari-Iganmu Primary Health Centre is expected to provide healthcare workers with a safer and more functional working environment while improving access to essential health services for residents, particularly women and families who depend on the facility.
