Another historical landmark have again been recorded by Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc, one of the country’s top leading insurance firms as it becomes the first Nigerian insurance and financial institution to sponsor the maiden edition of the Lagos International Jazz Festival coming up in April 2008.
The Lagos International Jazz Festival is officially affiliated to the world’s famous Cape Town International Jazz Festival, now in its ninth edition and widely recognized as a leading global event.
According to the organizers of the musical event, Inspiro Productions/esp Afrika, the fiesta is billed to bring together the crème de la crème of local and international jazz artistes as it has always been the case with the previous editions held in Cape Town, South Africa.
In appreciating the gesture of Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc, the country representative of esp Afrika in Nigeria and Managing Director of Inspiro Productions, Ayoola Sadare, noted that the company has indeed proven to be a leading brand in the insurance and financial services sector in the country. He enjoined the Management to continue in the stride of placing the STI brand on the international pedestal as that would drive a lot of business opportunities for the organization.
In his words, “back home and in South Africa, we are very proud to be associated with your brand, considering your organization’s involvement in developmental issues that border on health, social recreation and sports promotion in the country. It is very clear that you are in a different league from your competitors in the marketplace”.
The Managing Director of Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc, Mr. Wale Onaolapo in responding, thanked the organizers for providing STI the unique opportunity of promoting the development of jazz music in Nigeria, tourism, and above all, giving the insurance industry a voice in the corporate Nigeria.
He added that the company is committed to the development of human resources through creative and qualitative recreation such as the one Nigerians are bound to experience during the week long festival. There will be other adjunct events such as music and art journalism workshops, art exhibition and jazz and general photography exhibition.
Artistes billed to perform include Courtney Pine from the United Kingdom, T-Mac, Bright Gain, Mike Aremu, Yinka Davies, Herbert Kunle Ajayi, Daniel Bankole and a host of others.