L-R: Chief Executive Officer/ Managing Director, Airtel Nigeria, Carl Cruz; Board Member, Airtel Africa, Awuneba Ajumogobia; Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Group Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Africa, Segun Ogunsanya; Renowned Businesswoman and Philanthropist, Hajia Bola Shagaya; Chief of Staff, Ekiti State (representing the Governor of Ekiti State), Tolu Ibitola; during An Evening with Airtel and the launch of Airtel Touching Lives Season 7 in Lagos

Telecommunications service provider, Airtel Nigeria, hosted the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and other dignitaries to a special evening, celebrating the impact of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects, to celebrate the impact of its initiatives and engage with key stakeholders.

The event, which took place at Eko Hotel and Towers, Victoria Island, Lagos on Sunday, 18th June 2023, was attended by a select group of guests, including government officials, top business executives, community leaders, and media personalities.

The CSR Night showcased Airtel Nigeria’s various intervention projects, aimed at empowering and uplifting communities across the country. These projects include the ‘Adopt-A-School’ program, which provides access to quality education and infrastructure for underprivileged children; ‘Employee Volunteer Scheme’, an initiative where employees of Airtel commit personal funds to support the less privileged in the society, the annual festive campaign, ‘Five Days of Love’ and the renowned ‘Airtel Touching Lives initiative’, which supports the less privileged individuals and communities, providing access to potable water in rural areas, economic empowerment projects and many other forms of support.

During the event, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, described Airtel Nigeria as a dependable brand in the area of uplifting Nigerans through various philanthropic initiatives.

“What Airtel does is commendable, and I am always glad to see several projects executed by the brand and how much these projects have impacted the lives of many, especially the Airtel Touching Lives initiative which is in its seventh season. Thanks to Airtel for remaining consistent, dependable, and a responsible brand,” he said.

Group Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Africa, Segun Ogunsanya, while speaking at the event said, “It is not enough to own a license to operate a mobile telecommunications company, I strongly believe that we must earn a Social License to operate. Hence, we commenced this beautiful idea we named Airtel Touching Lives, which is more or less a special purpose vehicle with which we deliver multifaceted assistance to people and communities across the country. We have constructed schools, sponsored surgeries locally and abroad, built houses, set up small businesses, and sponsored the education of indigent children. We have basically touched the lives of thousands of people directly and indirectly.”

Ogunsanya also noted the Airtel’s partnership with UNICEF for education advancement. “This ground-breaking collaboration, which has been ongoing since 2022, is designed to implement our goal of providing access to digital education, free of charge, to more than one million African children. So far, in Nigeria alone, we have implemented this programme in more than 620 schools, providing the pupils with high-speed data connection and digital learning tools to help them access quality education”, he said.

Also speaking at the event, Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Carl Cruz, said “At the heart of our activities as a company is the commitment to improve our environment and support everyday Nigerians with what matters most to them: their wellbeing. Our aim is also to support government efforts, as we understand that government cannot solve all problems by itself, and while we support governments, we appreciate the truth that we cannot also by ourselves complete the task at hand. So, we always consider it a privilege to collaborate with like-minded organizations who share the passion we have for solving society’s problem.

“At Airtel Nigeria, we are happy to embrace our role as an organization that priorities the need to lift up the weak and needy in our communities. We consider it an honor to be a model to other organizations and to offer support to the government in its responsibility to serve the people.” he concluded.

As revealed during the event, season 7 of Airtel Touching Lives will showcase 12 projects which were determined after a rigorous vetting of the thousands of nominations received from well-meaning Nigerians across the country.