Telecom
Airtel’s Way of Supporting Under-Priviledged Children
Airtel, telecommunications giant since its advent in Nigeria, June 2010, has left no one in doubt about its vision “to be the most loved brand in the daily lives of Nigerians”
Unwavering in its commitment to connect with the Nigerian people, not only does it provide innovative products at affordable rates, but also offered good deeds through Social interventions.
The Telecoms service provider promised novel and world class services, and one more thing: to contribute significantly to the alleviation of the challenges faced by the privileged.
So, when in February 2011, it announced its Adopt-A-School initiative with the adoption of Oremeji Primary School 2 in, Ajegunle, Lagos State, the message became even clearer.
Since then, Airtel has gone on to Adopt three more government-owned public primary schools; St. John’s Primary School Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State; Community Primary School, Amumara, Imo State and Presbyterian Primary School, EdibaAbi, Cross River States.
Today, Airtel has gone beyond merely adopting primary schools, provision of infrastructure, uniforms, learning materials for the pupils and training of their teachers.
It has gone one step ahead to contribute holistically to the wellbeing of the pupils of their adopted schools, hence, the introduction of the free Health checks in these schools.
Recently, Airtel organized free eye screening exercise in three of its adopted schools; St. John’s Primary School Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State; Community Primary School, Amumara, Imo State, and Presbyterian Primary School, EdibaAbi, Cross River State.
Speaking about the eye screening exercise which was flagged off on Monday, March 17th in Community Primary School, Amumara, Imo State, Segun Ogunsanya, chief executive officer and managing director of Airtel Nigeria, said the exercise is essential considering the important of a healthy vision, noting that “one of the priorities of VISION 2020 program is controlling blindness in children which means that we have to invest in eye care.
“This is something Airtel is proud to be involved in across our adopted schools, particularly because the children involved are from less privileged homes.”
The exercise in the Adopted schools, which was borne out of the company’s desire to help in building a stronger, healthier generation of achievers as reiterated in the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and VISION 2020 the global right to sight, was an interesting affair.
From the children who couldn’t wait to be screened, extremely intrigued by the impressive array of equipment the Doctors displayed and how they worked, to the ones who feigned poor sight the moment they realized the doctors were giving out free glasses to the ones that required them. The excitement was infectious!
In Community Primary School Amumara, Mrs. Stella Onyeonuziri, parent of Michael Onyeonuziri, a Primary Six pupil that was screened enthused that “what Airtel is doing is very good and I am very proud that my child is a pupil of the ‘Airtel school”. I ask God to continue to Bless Airtel because of how they care for our children.”
After undergoing her screening, Alhaja Mistura Balogun, education secretary Ijebu North, Ogun State commended Airtel Nigeria for touching the lives of the pupils and Teachers in the Local Government, saying other Telcos should emulate them.
The eye screening programme was implemented by a team of Ophthalmologists from Ultimate Eye Clinic, a renowned eye care provider to major Health Management Organizations in Nigeria.
The Clinic provided glasses and eye treatment to pupils and teachers on a need-to-have basis without any financial implications for the beneficiaries.
The exercise which was concluded on Wednesday 2nd of April, after a two-day screening at St. John’s Primary School, Ogun State had a total of 1,165 pupils, 83 Teachers and 98 community people screened.
144 free eye glasses were given to pupils, Teachers, community and some members of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) in the respective states.
Nigeria currently has over four million people suffering from eye problems 80% of which are from avoidable causes.
Of this figure which was obtained from the Federal Ministry of Health in 2011, one million are blind while three million are visually impaired. 50% of avoidable blindness was attributed to cataract, followed by glaucoma 16%, corneal opacity 12%, trachoma 4%, optic Atrophy 3% and refractive error being the major cause of visual impairment. It is feared that about 50% of children who become blind before age five may not leave to see their sixth birthday.
It will be recalled that in March 2012,Airtel in partnership with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and doctors from The Roding Medical Center, Victoria Island, Lagos to conduct a Health Awareness Campaign in Oremeji Primary School, Ajegunle, Lagos.The Health Awareness Campaign involved a general health check on the teachers and students of the school, including eye screening, cardiovascular, height and weight checks according to the National Centre for Health Statistics and a deworming exercise for the pupils as prescribed by the World Health Organization (WHO). Over 400 pupils, teachers and parents of OremejiPrimary School, Ajegunle, benefitted from the exercise.
“For us at Airtel Nigeria, we perceive ourselves as more than just a connection. So, we seek ways to touch the lives of our customers, and even those who are not, because that is how we procure and maintain our social license to operate.
“Life is more than making or receiving calls, and even so, people must feel good about our organization to be able to give us their custom. Hence our involvement in giving back to the people in the communities we operate,” said Emeka Oparah, vice president, Corporate Communications & CSR.
Four people have been killed, with over 20 injured after a fire at Cairo data centre disrupted telecom services nationwide.
A fire at a major Telecom Egypt facility in Cairo on Monday has left four workers dead and at least 22 others injured, plunging parts of the capital into a communications crisis.
According to Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, spokesperson for Egypt’s Health Ministry, most injuries were due to smoke inhalation.
The blaze, which broke out at a key data centre operated by Telecom Egypt, the country’s primary fixed-line and internet provider, was brought under control later that day.
However, it caused widespread disruptions, halting phone services, affecting internet connectivity, and even interfering with digital banking operations.
Internet monitoring group NetBlocks reported that national connectivity dropped to just 62% of normal levels following the incident.
Residents across Cairo struggled with poor network access, and banks—although already closed for the day—reported interruptions in ATM services and online transactions.
In a statement on Tuesday, Telecom Egypt mourned the loss of its employees and pledged support to their families.
Amr Talaat, Egypt’s minister of Communications and Information Technology, assured the public that service restoration was underway and expected to be completed within 24 hours.
To address the disruption, the Health Ministry released alternative emergency contact numbers across Egypt’s governorates, in case its primary ambulance hotline remained unreachable.
The state-run MENA news agency reported that the fire was prevented from engulfing the entire building and nearby rooftops, thanks to the efforts of emergency responders.
A preliminary investigation suggests the fire was likely triggered by an electrical short circuit, according to a security source cited by MENA.
As the nation works to restore full connectivity, the incident has raised fresh concerns about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure and the need for enhanced fire safety protocols in sensitive tech facilities.
Tech faints, Globalcom, on Tuesday unveiled three exciting digital products aimed at rewarding customers. The products, Animation World Promo, Treasure Spin and Sport Brain, also provide subscribers with the opportunity to play and win instant prizes.
Globalcom in a statement in Lagos said that the company is dedicated to providing value-added service to its ever-growing customers.
The first digital product, which is Animation World Promo, is an innovative trivia-based service aimed at challenging customers culinary knowledge of Nigerian food. With it, subscribers engage in answering food related questions, earn points and win delicious prizes.
For Treasure Spin, customers are availed the digital treasure spin experience. With each spin Glo subscribers stand a chance to win instant prizes, making every participation exciting and rewarding.
In addition, Globalcom captures the heart of football lovers with Sport Brain. Subscribers are allowed to predict football scores in matches across top leagues all around the world. Customers get to select their preferred leagues. “It’s a fun and competitive way for football lovers to test their instincts and knowledge,” the company noted.
Customers who subscribe to any of the three services stand a chance to win fantastic daily, weekly, and monthly prizes. Every day, 20 participants will receive ₦1,000 cash, ₦1,000 airtime, and 3.5GB data. On a weekly basis, five lucky winners will walk away with ₦100,000 each, while one grand prize winner will receive ₦1 million every month.
To participate, customers are required to dial *13055*2# for Animation World Promo,*13199*3# for Treasure Spin and *13199*2# for Sport Brain. Each plan can be activated either as a one-time purchase or Auto Renewal.
Globacom further explained that all products are available at an affordable subscription rate of ₦100 for a daily plan, ₦300 for weekly plan and ₦500 for monthly plan.
In concluding, the company disclosed that the services are available to all Glo prepaid and postpaid subscribers nationwide.
The Stakeholders in Blockchain Technology Association of Nigeria (SiBAN) has lauded Interstellar, one of its prominent members, for spearheading a major breakthrough in Africa’s financial technology space.
This follows Interstellar’s strategic partnership with the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) to roll out the PAPSS African Currency Marketplace (PACM), a blockchain-based platform designed to address the continent’s long-standing currency inconvertibility challenge.
The initiative is already being hailed as a game-changer capable of eliminating the $5 billion annual trade friction currently plaguing intra-African commerce.
According to SiBAN President, Mr Obinna Iwuno, the development affirms Nigeria’s leadership in blockchain innovation, stating that Interstellar’s PACM is not only a technological feat but also a timely response to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) mandate of seamless and cost-effective regional trade.
PACM operates on STARGATE, a blockchain-agnostic system developed by Interstellar, and leverages the Bantu blockchain network to facilitate real-time, peer-to-peer exchanges of African currencies.
The solution ensures financial inclusion by allowing businesses, SMEs, and informal traders to transact in local currencies without relying on foreign intermediaries, all while maintaining regulatory compliance.
Mr Ernest Mbenkum, CEO of Interstellar, described the solution as Africa’s roadmap to financial sovereignty. “Blockchain is not just innovation; it is empowerment,” he said.
SiBAN reaffirmed its commitment to supporting policies and partnerships that promote secure, transparent, and inclusive digital economies.
The association further called on stakeholders in government and the private sector to prioritise blockchain adoption as a driver of national development.
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