Airtel Nigerian adopts schools in Kwara

Airtel Nigeria has commissioned its newly-adopted school in Offa, Kwara State as part of corporate social responsibility by the mobile phone company.

The telecoms company recently unveiled the renovated blocks of classrooms and also donated toilet facilities, borehole for potable water, 400 school bags, 1, 400 note books, 400 uniforms, packs of pen among other items to Iyeru-Okin Primary School 1, Offa, Kwara State, the phone company says.

Under its Adopt-a-School CSR programme, Airtel Nigeria has now adopted the school to add to the list of schools it supports. This latest adoption joins the four other Airtel adopted primary schools spread across Nigeria, namely Oremeji Primary School II, Ajegunle, Lagos; St. John’s Primary School, Oke-Agbo, Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun; Community Primary School, Amumara, Imo and Presbyterian Primary School, Ediba, Cross River State.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony,Mr. Segun Ogunsanya, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, said the telecoms company recognised the interest of the state government in uplifting the standard of education in Kwara State and is therefore pleased to partner with the government and people.

Ogunsanya, who was represented by Godfrey Efeurhobo, the Company’s Chief Sales Officer, education is the bedrock of development of a nation and the best place to start is at the formative stage of children.

He adds that the Nigerian government has taken various initiatives in this direction but has often not reached the poorest section of the society.

He expressed Airtel’s commitment to enriching the lives of key stakeholders in the communities it operates in, noting that the telco will continue to create opportunities to uplift underprivileged kids through its various CSR programmes.

“In recognition of the role education plays in the development of a country, Airtel Nigeria has decided, as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility vision, to adopt the primary school in Iyeru-Okin. Under our Adopt-a-School programme, we adopt government-owned schools located in poor, rural/semi urban communities and either rehabilitate or rebuild them, as the case may be, just as we have done here,” Ogunsanya explained.

While commending Airtel’s Adopt-a-School programme, Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, who was represented by Lamid Alabi, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Kwara, noted that Airtel’s CSR initiative connects with the state educational infrastructure development programme.

“I understand that Airtel has upgraded three blocks of classrooms and equipped them with whiteboards, chairs and tables, Furthermore, the company is providing uniforms, school bags for 400 hundred pupils including other support infrastructure and materials. Clearly, what Airtel has done at this school deserves our commendation and applause. The project represents a contribution to our educational development through corporate social responsibility intervention”, he added.