By Funmilola Gboteku
Airtel Nigeria has started the seventh edition of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) intervention, ‘Airtel Touching Lives Season 7’ with focus on financial inclusion and digital learning for underprivileged children.
The Managing Director of Airtel Nigeria, Mr Surendran Chemmenkotil, flagged off the initiative at a press conference on Tuesday in Lagos.
He said the CSR programme was an opportunity for the telecoms company to further connect with the several communities it served as well as focus on its sustainability agenda.
Chemmenkotil said in 2021 Airtel Africa announced an ambitious sustainability agenda with strong focus on providing access to digital learning for underprivileged children.
He said the company planned to work closely with the government to uplift the standard of primary education through adoption of schools and providing access via financial inclusion to the underbanked and unbanked.
“In implementing this agenda, Airtel Nigeria, through the Season 7 programme, will mostly seek causes and opportunities that speak broadly and primarily to digital and financial inclusion as well as adoption of schools.
“In the past, we have focused on several areas of the SDGs including access to healthcare, clean water, sanitation, environment, women empowerment, social justice among many others.
“It is our belief that accelerating digital learning for underprivileged children and providing financial inclusion for the excluded will not only transform lives but will also have massive impact for the society and economy,” he said.
He added that the company would look for ways to empower underprivileged children with access to world class curriculum through simple technology and make lives better for the many men and women living in different communities it served.
Chemmenkotil said: “As we begin this season, I am requesting Nigerians to feel free to nominate causes and as usual, we will provide help and support to as many as we can, considering our scope and resources.”(NAN)
