Airtel and UNICEF have announced an agreement to expand their collaboration across all 36 states and FCT under a plan to further empower Nigerians.
The partnership will increase access to social change related information and provide opportunities for participation whilst pushing forward U-Report, an innovative project supported by UNICEF, according to the two organisations.
According to Airtel, the agreement allows UNICEF to tap into the company’s mobile services to make health, education, child protection and community-focused content available to Airtel customers across the country.
Through improved connectivity, more Nigerians will have free access to mobile applications and services developed by UNICEF, such as U-Report, the mobile phone company says.
U-Report is an SMS-based platform that empowers Nigerians to participate and engage in policy-making and governance and to access real time information on key social issues.
The platform was launched officially in Nigeria on April 29, 2015 and has over 400,000 registered users, making Nigeria the leading U-Report platform globally, among 16 other countries that are running the same application.
Commenting on the initiative, Segun Ogunsanya, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Airtel Nigeria says “At Airtel Nigeria, we constantly look for opportunities to excite, delight and empower our customers. This innovative partnership with UNICEF offers Nigerians a golden opportunity to transform the country and we are glad to be part of the U-Report project.”
Jean Gough, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria says “UNICEF is committed to providing innovative solutions towards better delivery of services and social change. This partnership with Airtel has the potential to empower millions of Nigerians through access to information and with opportunities to help them transform their societies.”
To become a U-Reporter in Nigeria, text the word ‘JOIN’ to 24453. It is free.
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