Prudential Life Insurance Ghana (PLIG), a leading life insurance company in Ghana, today officially launched the fifth edition of the annual cycling event in the city. PruRide 2024.
The event which is part of the activities to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Prudential Life in Ghana was launched on the sidelines of the Emy Africa Expo at the Accra International Convention Center (AICC).
The launch attracted officials from the National Sports Authority, the Ghana Cycling Federation, cyclists, cycling enthusiasts and other Prudential Life partners and the media.
Why PruRide?
PruRide Accra was inspired by Ride for London, the world’s largest annual cycling festival.
During the launch, the Chief Operations Officer of Prudential Life Insurance Ghana, Peter Adjei said that the company’s decision to support the sport of cycling and for this PruRide from 2019 is because βCycling helps promote a healthy lifestyle of life, which is linked to our purpose of being partners of every life and protector of every future”.
PruRide Impact
He said that in 2019, the maiden event registered about 200 cyclists during the main race. This increased to 360 cyclists last year (2023). Considering the progress, he was optimistic that around 500 cyclists would participate in this year’s event. These numbers are independent of participation in well-supported fun rides.
Mr. Adjei observed that the sustained success of the annual event was made possible through the support of the Ghana Sports Authority, the Ghana Cycling Federation, the Ghana Police Service, the media, prevention staff, their partners and most importantly the cyclists. both professionals and amateurs who have worked with them every year. “What we have achieved since 2019 is proof that cycling can bring us together and help promote healthy living among many,” he stressed.
He announced that βThis year’s PruRide is the fifth edition and coincidentally happens to be our 10th anniversary year. Rest assured and know that together as partners we will deliver another successful PruRide and showcase PruRide as an international event that attracts people from all over Africa and beyond.β
PruRide 2024 and Safety
Prudential Life Insurance Ghana’s Head of Sustainability, Emmanuel Hammond explained that this year’s main event scheduled for Sunday, August 25, 2024, at the Black Star Square, will be preceded by three Fun Rides in Accra and Kumasi. This includes a corporate fun ride that promises to be engaging and frustrating.
He added that (Here, Emmanuel will give mileage details for the Fun rides, pro race, prizes and other side attractions of the PruRide event).
Mr Hammond then appealed to all cyclists and stunt professionals to ensure they wear helmets and other riding gear and follow all safety and road traffic guidelines to ensure an incident free event because βat Prudential, the safety of every life is important to us”.
He said the call for safety aligns with Prudential’s strategy to build resilient communities. For this reason the company established the Safe Steps Road Safety campaign in collaboration with the Prudence Foundation (Prudential plc’s community investment arm in Asia and Africa), the National Road Safety Authority, the Multimedia Group and the Didier Drogba Foundation in Ghana. on November 10, 2021.
Safe Steps aims to raise awareness and provide educational information about life-threatening issues in hopes of saving lives and building more resilient communities.
Stakeholder Support
The Director of the National Sports Authority, assured of the government’s commitment to develop the sport of cycling and hailed the support and uplift that Prudential and PruRide have brought to the sport of cycling in the country. He called on other businesses, donors and partners to support the annual cycling event as it has huge potential in the areas of sports tourism, business promotion and other investment opportunities. It is also in line with the health and safety SDGs, he added.
The representative of the Ghana Cycling Federation, commended Prudential Life Insurance Ghana for taking a bold initiative to support a sport that has grown lessors like cycling. He assured that the federation will continuously support PruRide to ensure it becomes a global sensation.