By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Airtel Nigeria has continued to win the hearts of many stakeholders, especially the general public with its flagship corporate social responsibility (CSR) intervention, Airtel Touching Lives.
This programme has earned the leading telecommunications services provider a social licence, boosting its subscriber base because of this.
Last week, the Managing Director/CEO of Airtel Nigeria, Mr Segun Ogunsanya, attested to this at a media parley held in Lagos to unveil Airtel Touching Lives 6.
The telecommunications expert described a social license as “the love, loyalty, friendship and affection you get from the communities where you operate as well as from your different stakeholders.”
He said Airtel was 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.
Mr Ogunsanya urged the public to be part of the initiative by nominating projects, persons and communities that require support.
“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, a mail can be sent to [email protected],” he said.
The Airtel Touching Lives is Airtel Nigeria’s flagship corporate philanthropy initiative aimed at providing succour to the underprivileged, hard to reach, vulnerable and disadvantaged in the society.
The programme 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 centres, 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.
