The Ecobank Foundation has donated cash to both the Kanu Heart and Lumina Foundations as part of the bank's corporate social responsibility activities reaching out to communities where Ecobank does business in Africa.

The Kanu Heart Foundation received N8 million ($50,000) while Lumina Foundation got over N16 million to support its project of printing select books by African writers and distributing same to indigent communities through its mobile library service and the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature initiated by the foundation.

The Ecobank Foundation was created in February 1999 in Lome, Togo, by the Ecobank Transnational Incorporated as a private sector led initiative that supports impactful projects. Its main areas of interest include; Entrepreneurial development, especially in rural communities; Education; Community development and Health.

The Ecobank Foundation achieves its purpose by partnering registered non-profit making organizations.

Handing over the donations, the Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria, Mr. Jibril Aku who was represented by the Executive Director, Finance and Risk, Mr. Dele Alabi, said the guiding principle of Ecobank's corporate social responsibility activities is to contribute to the economic development and financial integration of Africa.

"Our main focus is to give back and contribute effectively to the societies in which we operate. Adding that the choice of Lumina Foundation follows its recognition of the inherent threat of a weak reading culture in Nigeria and its dedicated efforts on literary advocacy amongst youths.

He also acknowledged that the Kanu Heart Foundation has done a lot since its inception to give support to the needy, especially children with heart related challenges.