Airtel Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to empowering and elevating underprivileged people in the communities in which it operates, announcing the launch of the seventh edition of its flagship CSR and sustainability initiative, ‘Airtel Touching Lives.’
Surendran Chemmenkotil, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Airtel Nigeria, stated during the press conference in Lagos that the Airtel Touching Lives Initiative is an opportunity for the telco to further connect with the various communities where they serve while also focusing on the Airtel Africa sustainability agenda.
“Last year, Airtel Africa announced an ambitious sustainability agenda with a strong focus on providing access to digital learning for underprivileged children, working closely with the government to uplift the standard of primary education through the adoption of schools and providing access via financial inclusion to the underbanked and unbanked,” he said
He claims that in order to carry out this agenda, Airtel Nigeria will primarily look for causes and opportunities related to digital and financial inclusion, as well as the adoption of schools, through Season 7 of the Airtel Touching Lives program.
Surendran noted the previous season when recalling it “In the last season of the programme, one of the biggest projects we embarked on was the adoption of Government Day Nursery and Primary school in Gombe State under our Adopt-a-School programme, bringing our adopted schools in Nigeria to a total of 7.”
“With the adoption of the school in Gombe, we renovated 37 classrooms, renovated two teachers’ offices, renovated, and modernized the toilet facilities in the school, reactivated the borehole facilities with clean pipe borne water and provided furniture for the teachers’ offices as well as educational supplies for the students.”
Other previous initiatives mentioned by the CEO include, among others, the refurbishment of the Ward A block at the Lagos State Teaching Hospital (LUTH), the renovation of the Library for Blind people, the rehabilitation of an IDP Camp clinic facility, and the installation of an ultramodern public water system for a sizable community in Ajah in season 4.
“I am excited, and I look forward to the nominations and the projects that will be implemented, and I also wish to assure you all that as always, Season 7 will not be different from past editions as we will continue to focus on the vision and philosophy of Airtel Touching Lives,” he stated.
By calling 367 or sending an SMS to the shortcode 367, Airtel is formally inviting the public to nominate people or communities. Email entries can be sent to touchinglives@ng.airtel.com as well.
