Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Visits Bizzell Corporate Headquarters
April 7, 2023 (New Carrollton, Md) – Bizzell welcomed Her Excellency Marie-Hélène Mathey-Boo Lowumba, Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), to our corporate headquarters on Wednesday, April 5, 2023. The visit provided an opportunity for Bizzell to highlight its commitment to community development and social responsibility in partnership with the DRC.
During her visit, Ambassador Lowumba met with Bizzell Chairman and CEO, Anton C. Bizzell, MD, and other key executives, to discuss Bizzell’s activities in the DRC, as well as its ongoing efforts to promote sustainable development, social responsibility, and youth empowerment. They discussed ways in which Bizzell can continue to support economic growth and job creation in the DRC, as well as further opportunities for collaboration and the importance of building strategic partnerships.
“We are honored to have welcomed Her Excellency Lowumba to our corporate headquarters and to have the opportunity to discuss our shared commitment to sustainable development in the DRC,” said Bizzell. “As a multi-national company, we are committed to collaborating closely with our partners in the DRC to make sure that our endeavors provide local solutions to benefit the community and have a global impact to offer a more sustainable future for all.”
The projects were donated as part of Bizzell’s corporate social responsibility and addresses both sustainable and equitable access to safe drinking water which remains a challenge in Nigeria. “It is estimated that more than 60 million people in Nigeria do not have access to basic clean water supply and that number grows each year as a result of climate change and population growth”, according to Dr. Bizzell. “Water saves lives and providing clean water is more important now than ever which is why we decided to construct and donate the water projects to the Odo Ayedub and Oke Ako communities in the Ekiti State of Nigeria”.
The commissioning of the projects was preceded by a ceremony at the palace of the traditional ruler of Odo Ayedun-Ekiti, His Royal Majesty Oba Dr. Solomon Ilesanmi Ajibade JP (Ajigbotoluwa I), the Owa of Odo Ayedun, who expressed his gratitude on behalf of the community, and conferred the chieftaincy title of Balógun Akórewọ̀lú of Odo Ayedun-Ekiti on Dr. Anton C. Bizzell, in recognition of his contribution to the development of the community. Dr. Bizzell, an African-American who traces his ancestry to Nigeria through ancestry DNA testing was also named ‘Ọmọ́wálé’ and welcomed as a son of the community.
The chieftaincy and commissioning ceremonies were witnessed by a mammoth crowd from the community, as well as senior government officials, traditional rulers, and other community stakeholders. The Ekiti First Lady H.E. Erelu Bisi Fayemi, on behalf of the Government of Ekiti State, thanked Bizzell for the kind gesture and appealed to them to favorably consider scaling up the intervention to benefit more communities. In her words, “You will find the Government and people of Ekiti state – the land of honor – to be people of integrity, who will always follow through with commitments they make to you and ensure such interventions are protected and well maintained.”