FREEE Impact Foundation, the nonprofit arm of FREEE Recycle Limited, has been awarded a ₦N25m grant by the NNPC Limited/FIRST E&P Development Company Joint Venture. The award announced in Lagos was part of the 2025 “Impact FIRST” Awards—a corporate social responsibility initiative designed to fund high-impact, community-driven NGOs.

The grant enables FREEE Impact Foundation to distribute 2,000 sandals to pupils across underserved public schools in Southwest Nigeria, contributing to a safer learning experience for pupils while reducing environmental waste.

The initiative exemplifies a powerful dual-impact model: tackling environmental pollution and advancing educational equity through a single circular economy intervention.

FREEE Impact Foundation was selected alongside 11 other organisations after a competitive review process evaluating effectiveness, innovation, community impact, amongst other criteria. The 12 selected grantees collectively received over ₦287 million in funding, supporting projects in healthcare, economic empowerment, education, and environmental sustainability.

Speaking on the award, Managing Director, FREEE Recycle, Ifedolapo Runsewe said: “We’d like to say a very big thank you to NNPC Limited/FIRST E&P Joint Venture for this opportunity and recognising the work we do at the intersection of sustainability and social impact. This grant allows us to distribute 2000 sandals to schools in Southwest Nigeria”.

“As an organisation, we have seen firsthand how meaningful change happens – not in isolation, but through collaboration. We recognise that NGOs play a vital role in addressing complex social challenges, particularly in communities that are often underserved. By empowering and resourcing these organisations, we collectively create ripples of transformation that extend far beyond what any single entity can achieve alone,” said Emmanuel Etomi, the Executive Director, Corporate Services, FIRST Exploration and Petroleum Development Company (FIRST E&P).