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Airtel Reaffirms Commitment to Building Communities as ‘Touching Lives Season 6’Kicks Off

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Photo: L-R: Chioma Okolie, Lead, Corporate Social Responsibility; Emeka Oparah, Vice President, Corporate Communications & Corporate Social Responsibility; Erhumu Bayagbon, Head, Public Relations and Olusina Adegoke, Regional Operations Director, Lagos Region all of Airtel Nigeria at the Airtel Touching Lives Season 6 Media Launch in Lagos.

Leading telecommunications services provider, Airtel Nigeria, has reaffirmed its commitment to empowering and uplifting vulnerable people, building communities and creating value for all its stakeholders as it announces the commencement of the sixth edition of its flagship CSR intervention, ‘Airtel Touching Lives 6’

Speaking in Lagos on Wednesday, 14th July, during a media launch of ‘Airtel Touching Lives 6’, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya, said a strong sense of purpose is driving Airtel Nigeria’s relentless focus on sustainable initiatives that can positively impact the various communities where it operates in.

According to Ogunsanya, purpose is powerful as it does not just define an individual or an entity, but drives its every action and decision. “A social license is the love, loyalty, friendship and affection you get from the communities where you operate as well as from your different stakeholders.

 Airtel is committed to its purpose of empowering and uplifting people and making a positive and lasting impact in the lives of its stakeholders, thereby earning its social license.

“To realize this vision, the Airtel Touching Lives initiative was created to offer relief and hope to the underprivileged and downtrodden and also inspire the strong and the wealthy to support the vulnerable and the poor.”

The Airtel CEO also noted that Airtel Touching Lives 6 will continue to focus on the overall philosophy of the programme while taking cognizance of key events such as the global pandemic that has made life difficult for many people.

“In the last 16 months, our lives have dramatically changed with Covid-19 and its many variants and waves. In our approach for Season 6, we will pay attention to Covid-19 but we will also focus on education and other areas and we will not deviate from seeking out indigent and medically challenged persons who desperately need help,” he said.

Ogunsanya urged the public to be part of the initiative by nominating projects, persons and communities that require support.

According to him, “the nomination process is simple. Once you nominate an individual or cause, our team will review and assess the situation and determine if a follow-up visit will be required. The public can nominate individuals or projects in their communities by dialling 367 or by sending an SMS to the Shortcode, 367. Also mail can be sent to [email protected] ”. 

Currently in its 6th Season, Airtel Touching Lives is Airtel Nigeria’s flagship corporate philanthropy initiative aimed at providing succor to the underprivileged, hard to reach, vulnerable and disadvantaged in the society.

Airtel Touching Lives takes the format of a reality television show, allowing the public to nominate causes, communities and underprivileged persons/people with special needs. Airtel thereafter evaluates and selects the causes to support and the activities are filmed and broadcasted on terrestrial and satellite television stations with the aim of inspiring other corporate organizations as well as well-meaning individuals to join in supporting the weak across society.

Airtel Touching Lives is about real people, real stories and the real effort of a corporate organization to uplift the needy and underprivileged, emancipating thousands from the shackles of poverty, despair and hopelessness.

Through the programme, Airtel has refurbished an ICT centre for a large community, built modern water borehole systems for large communities, refurbished cancer centers, refurbished a Library for Blind people, rehabilitated an IDP Camp clinic facility, set up small scale trade for underprivileged persons, paid medical bills of underprivileged children and women and flown many persons abroad for treatment, among others.

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MINILS Conferred Fellowship on Danbatta for Empowering National Workforce

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The Michael Imoudu National Institute of Labour Studies (MINILS) has decorated the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta, with the award of Fellowship of the Nigeria Institute of Labour (NIL) under the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.

At the conferment ceremony in Abuja recently, which was part of the series of events marking the 40 Anniversary/Founders Day of the Institute, the Director-General of the Institute, Isa Aremu, said Danbatta was being recognised for his exemplary contributions and that of his team to the betterment of the Commission and national workforce.

Alongside Danbatta, the Director, Human Capital and Administration of the Commission, Usman Malah, who is driving the effectiveness of the workforce at NCC was also honoured with a fellowship.

Speaking at the event, Danbatta, who represented by Malah, at the event, underscored the significance of collectively supporting initiatives that enhance the well-being of Nigerian workers through increased access to affordable telecom services.

The EVC stated that only through a digitally skilled and informed workforce can Nigeria fast-track national productivity and development, alongside other initiatives being put in place by the Federal Government. Danbatta said the Commission would ensure affordable and ubiquitous telecom services to improve Nigerian workers’ daily activities.

While expressing gratitude for the recognition to him and Malah, Danbatta assured of his continued support to empowering NCC staff in improving skills, education and sundry capacity-building activities as well as stimulating the deployment of robust broadband infrastructure for bolstering job creation for Nigerians and improving national productivity.

Meanwhile, MINILS DG, Aremu, commended the Commission for promoting the deployment of telecommunications services to improve productivity and efficiency across different sectors of the economy.

“We have witnessed the amazing transformation in terms of broadband penetration, Internet subscribers and many other achievements recorded under the leadership of Prof. Danbatta as the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC and how the telecom sector, regulated by the Commission he leads, have improved national productivity,” Aremu said.

The DG of MINILS stated that the EVC has played a pivotal role in transforming and advancing the nation’s digital space and acknowledged that Danbatta’s commitment to bridging the digital divide and creating employment opportunities in the telecommunications sector has earned him accolades nationwide.

The anniversary, which featured conferment of Fellowship of the NIL on other Chief Executives and Heads of Human Resources divisions of some government agencies alongside the NCC Management executives, not only celebrated the events of the past but also set the stage for a brighter future, showcasing the importance of fair labour practices, knowledge and continued collaboration between various government agencies.

Aside from the new Fellowship of NIL, Danbatta is a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, the Renewable and Alternative Energy Society; the Nigerian Academy of Engineering, and the Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. 

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PREMIUM TIMES Books Unveils New Title on Cyber Politics, Nigerian Elections

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 Premium Times Books, the book publishing arm of the Premium Times Group, is pleased to announce the release of a new title, Cyber Politics: Social Media, Social Demography and Voting Behaviour in Nigeria.

The book, written by Omoniyi P. Ibietan, is officially making its way to physical and online bookshop Monday morning in a unique alignment with the symbolic rituals of June 12, Nigeria’s Democracy Day.

In 460 pages spread over 12 chapters, Cyber Politics: Social Media, Social Demography and Voting Behaviour in Nigeria gives expression to a critical phase within the distinct trajectory of Nigerian democracy through its elections.

Like June 12, which created a watershed in the country as Nigerians sought to rupture the yoke of military rule through the ballot, this book by Omoniyi P. Ibietan engages with another national watershed moment, as the nascent digital culture involving Internet use, and particularly the social media, converges with the articulation of voter choice, ultimately impacting Nigeria’s electoral fortunes in the process.

Nigeria’s 2015 presidential election is utilised as the sounding board from which analyses that offer great insights into the future of voting behaviour in the country are made in this new title, that is both skilful in its rendition and ground-cutting in its intellectual approach.

In an Introduction he wrote for the book, Dapo Olorunyomi, the Chief Executive Officer of the Premium Times Group, said “The universe of this new book is intriguing in its exploration of the “digital effect on elections.”

He also pointed out how Mr Ibietan’s work demonstrates “clearly that social media systems do enrich electoral democracy by expanding access to registration, participation, voting and organising at a scale we have never contemplated.”

He further observed that, “In the context of the Nigerian market framework, we also get to appreciate, through his lenses, the comparative appeal of each of the social channels. WhatsApp is the battle axe, while Twitter, hysterical though it is, remains limited.” Also, “Ibietan demonstrates how Facebook appeals to age and its abstract commitment to attention and community makes its credentials for advancing democracy a suspect.”

Equally, in his Foreword to the book, Umar Danbatta, a professor and executive vice chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, noted that: “the author situates the historical context of Nigerian politics and democracy” and more so “…the nexus between social media and voting behaviour, and the influence of the social media ecosystem among others in the electoral process.”

Importantly, as Professor Danbatta put it: “The book is a compelling narrative, a scholar’s guide and companion on the various political communication themes it interprets. It is difficult to put down this work once you are drawn by its alluring and free-flowing prose and incisive analysis.”

For a prominent commentator, who is also a former Minister of Information and Communication in Nigeria, Frank Nweke II, “the book represents an uncommon body of work by an intellectual visionary”, and he is of the conviction that the “extrapolation of the lessons and recommendations of this book will find perfect expression in other climes beyond the 2015 Nigerian general elections scenario.” Nweke thus commends “Dr Ibietan for this remarkable work, and…recommend(s) this book for practitioners and academics in the fields of strategic communications, new technologies, and social change.”

The author of this new book, Omoniyi P. Ibietan, holds a doctorate in Political Communication from North-West University in South Africa, and earlier degrees in Communication Arts from the Universities of Uyo and Ibadan.

With a career spanning journalism, stints in the civil society and academia, he is presently a directorate cadre staff in the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), where he heads the media relations management unit.

Over the past two decades, Mr Ibietan has researched deeply in the emergent interface between communication studies and psephology, which explains his richly nuanced understanding and far sight into issues involved.

Cyber Politics: Social Media, Social Demography and Voting Behaviour in Nigeria is available as physical copies both in the hard back and soft back versions in bookstores across the country from today, 12 June. The electronic copies of the book can also be purchased on online platforms, including Amazon.

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SABRE Africa Honours MTN’s Karl Toriola for Transforming MNO

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In recognition of his tenacious leadership and drive for innovation, Karl Toriola, the CEO of MTN Nigeria, has received the 2023 SABRE Africa Certificate of Excellence as CEO of the Year. 

Since becoming CEO of the leading technology giant in October 2020, Karl Toriola has spearheaded the organisation’s transition from solely providing telecommunications services to a wide range of technology solutions.

During his time in office, MTN Nigeria became the first company in Nigeria to receive the licensing to roll out 5G spectrum commercially. MTN Nigeria was also granted a Payment Service Bank licence to provide financial solutions to Nigerians through MoMo PSB,  the fintech subsidiary of MTN Nigeria.

Another milestone for MTN Nigeria during his time as the CEO was the successful closure of the Public Offer. In December 2021, MTN Nigeria became the first Nigerian company to make its public offer of 575 million sales in shares to retail investors through a premiere digital platform during the Primary Offer.

With Karl Toriola as CEO of MTN Nigeria, its revenue doubled from N1 trillion in 2018 to N2 trillion at the end of the financial year in 2022  as the organisation also under his wing achieved its most substantial growth in 2021 and 2022 at 22.9 percent, and 21.6 percent respectively. 

When asked to speak about his greatest accomplishments as CEO of MTN Nigeria in a recent exclusive interview, he said, “First of all, it’s a team accomplishment. So, it’s not down to me but the entire team – from the board, right down to everyone working in the organisation. But I think getting MTN Nigeria back to a place where it’s being liked and loved gradually is probably my biggest achievement. It’s a long journey.

Everyone loves to hate two service providers, the telco and the bank, and to get them (customers) to start to like and love you and give you some respect; I think it’s a tremendous achievement,” he continued. 

Before his appointment as the CEO of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola worked at Ericsson Nigeria in 2000 as a Support and Integration Manager. He moved to Econet Nigeria in 2003 as Deputy Chief Technical Officer before becoming Chief Operations Officer at then Vmobile Nigeria (now Airtel). In 2006 Karl Toriola joined MTN Nigeria as Chief Technical Officer. He was appointed CEO of MTN Congo Brazzaville in 2011 and MTN Cameroon in the same year. He became Vice President of MTN Group’s WECA (West and Central Africa) for five years until he was announced CEO of MTN Nigeria in October 2020.

In addition to CEO of the year, MTN Nigeria also received a Certificate of Excellence at the 2023 SABRE Africa awards in four other categories: Company of the Year as MTN Nigeria, Corporate Image for the launch of MTN 5G, Corporate Social Responsibility for Empowering Female Entrepreneurs through MTN Y’ellopreneur and Special Event/Sponsorship through MTN Football. 

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