By Princewill Ekwujuru

LAGOS—Nigerian Bottling Company, NBC, bottlers of the Coca- Cola brand, said weekend it paid N40.3 billion tax between 2008 and 2015.

The Director, Legal, Public Affairs and Communications, Mrs. Folasade Morgan, disclosed this during the tour of the company’s Ikeja new PET facility, in Ikeja, Lagos .

He said NBC was also partnering communities on shared values by providing livelihood for over 15 million Nigerians.

According to her, the company, in partnership with its host communities on shared values, has between 2004 and 2005 reduced water shortage by 54 per cent.

Morgan stated that with this process, NBC had made water accessible to 8,000 households in 14 communities, adding that it had had over 7,000 community water ambassador programmes between 2010 and 2015.

On youth development, the company said it had supported 8,000 students in public primary schools with back-to-school items since 2011.

Besides, “we have carried out infrastructural upgrade in adopted schools in partnership with state government,” Morgan enthused.

Further, the company said it has also provided business training skills for women entrepreneurs in its value chain, while supporting them with trade asset financing.