Prudential Life Insurance Ghana (PLIG), a leading life insurance company in Ghana, has today officially launched the fifth edition of the annual urban cycling event; PruRide 2024.

The event which is part of activities commemorating the 10th Anniversary celebration of Prudential Life’s operation in Ghana was launched on the sidelines of the Emy Africa Expo at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC).

The launch attracted officials of the National Sports Authority, the Ghana Cycling Federation, Cyclists, Cycling Enthusiasts and other Partners of Prudential Life and the media.

Why PruRide

PruRide Accra was inspired by Ride for London, the largest annual cycling festival in the world.

During the launch, the Chief Operations Officer of Prudential Life Insurance Ghana, Peter Adjei indicated that the company’s decision to support the cycling sport and for that matter PruRide since 2019 is because “Cycling helps to promote a healthy lifestyle, which is linked to our purpose of being partners of every life and protectors of every future.”

PruRide Impact

He said in 2019, the maiden event recorded about 200 cyclists during the main event. This increased to 360 cyclists last year (2023). Considering the progress, he was optimistic that this year’s edition will have about 500 cyclists participating. These figures are independent of participation in the fun rides which are highly patronised.

Mr. Adjei observed that the consistent success of the annual event has been possible through the support of the Ghana Sports Authority, the Ghana Cycling Federation, the Ghana Police Service, the Media, Prudential staff, their partners and most importantly the cyclists; both professional 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 “This year’s PruRide is the fifth edition and coincidentally happening in the year of our 10th anniversary. Be rest assured and know that together as partners we will deliver another successful PruRide and elevate PruRide into an international event that attracts people from all Africa and beyond.”

PruRide 2024 and Safety

The Head of Sustainability at Prudential Life Insurance Ghana, 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 which promises to be engaging and destressing.

He added that that this year’s race will feature a 20km route for amateur cyclists, 100km route for elite or professional cyclists for males and 75km for Females. Participants will compete for cash prizes of upto Ghs15000, medals, trophies, certificates, and souvenirs from Prudential Life Insurance. In line with promoting inclusion, disabled cyclists will receive a special cash prize of Ghs500, recognizing their participation and effort in the event.

Mr Hammond then appealed to all cyclists and stunt professionals to ensure they wore helmets and other riding gear and follow all safety and road instructions to ensure an incident free event because “at Prudential, the safety of every life is important to us.”

He indicated that the call for safety aligns with Prudential’s strategy of building resilient communities. It is for this reason that the company instituted Safe Steps Road Safety Campaign in collaboration with the Prudence Foundation (community investment arm of Prudential plc in Asia and Africa), the National Road Safety Authority, the Multimedia Group, and the Didier Drogba Foundation in Ghana on 10 November 2021.

Safe Steps aims to raise awareness and provide educational information on life-threatening issues in the hope of saving lives and building more resilient communities.

Stakeholder Support

A Rep of the National Sports Authority assured of government’s commitment to developing the cycling sport and welcomed the support and elevation that Prudential and PruRide has brought to the Cycling sport in the country. He called on other businesses, donors and partners to support the annual cycling event because it has a huge potential in the area of sports tourism, business visibility and other investment opportunities.

Mr. Joseph Addo of the Ghana Cycling Federation commended Prudential Life Insurance Ghana for taking a bold initiative to support a lesser developed sport like cycling. He assured that the federation will continuously support PruRide to ensure it becomes a global sensation.

To partake in the race dial 778001# OR visit www.prudential.com.gh for further details. For the elite male and female riders with UCI license or Club membership, Amateur and disabled persons can all register and take part in the competition.