Education
Airtel Transforms Life of Toddler Blinded by Ritualists
The prompt intervention of one of the leading telecom companies in Nigeria, Airtel, in giving succour to a little boy, Master Sadiq Usman, has been applauded by a teacher.
In 2016, Sadiq was kidnapped and blinded by unknown persons suspected to be ritualists and his life almost crumbled but Airtel came into the picture and today, he now lives a surprisingly more productive life as a young student.
According to one of his teachers, Mr Ibrahim Yusuf Morah, the cash and equipment donations from Airtel and its employees made it possible for the school to reintegrate the boy.
Mr Morah is the lead tutor and head of the Special Education Unit at Professors International Group of Schools in Tudun Wadan, Zaria, Kaduna State.
Today, the teacher said, “Sadiq is in Primary 2 and one of our best students in the school –we have a nickname for him; we call him Professor.”
As a three-year-old, Sadiq Usman was seized from his neighbourhood in the Jushi area of Zaria by suspected organ thieves still at large. The assailants gouged out the pre-schooler’s eyes and abandoned him in a remote part of the town. The horrific incident devastated the boy’s family of eight and threw the village into a panic.
After passers-by found Sadiq and took him for treatment at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Professors International Group of Schools, Zaria offered to assist his indigent family by training him for free.
However, said Mr Morah, “We weren’t equipped with all the standard materials and apparatus needed to facilitate his learning. Although we were able to acquire the ones we could afford, what we had still wasn’t enough to fully help the boy with the academic support he really needed.”
Via the company’s Employees Volunteer Scheme, Airtel’s staff raised N400,000 for Sadiq’s tuition and donated several sophisticated training equipment to the school.
Some of the items presented included a Perkins Brailler, a laptop computer, a Braille Coacher, a Crammer-style abacus, and a Taylor frame, among others. Since this intervention three years ago, the teacher confirmed that Airtel has continued to completely pay for Sadiq’s education.
“After Airtel started paying [Sadiq’s] tuition fees, more people have reached out to us, asking to help, too. Some have donated clothing materials, among other things, for his upkeep. One person even donated a car to help with his transportation,” he added.
Airtel’s donations towards Sadiq’s rehabilitation have been beneficial, not only to the boy but also to his teachers, according to Mr Morah.
“Really, not only has Airtel’s contributions significantly helped him; it has further propelled me to tutor him better than I ever could,” he said.
Remarkably, he noted, the pupil has taken well to all the equipment provided by Airtel. “He particularly likes using the laptop Airtel got him as it came with a computer program called JAWS, which allows the visually impaired to read and operate a computer, using text-to-speech.”
Sadiq is also said to have developed the needed capacity to use a typewriter when there is no power on his laptop.
This “is a remarkable feat, considering the fact that most visually impaired children do not operate Perkins Brailler efficiently until they are about ten years of age. He started to type efficiently when he was only in primary 1.
“Another remarkable achievement is that Sadiq is now multilingual as he speaks four languages fluently, including French, Arabic and, of course, English and Hausa,” Mr Morah noted.
When Sadiq learnt of how the telecom company had saved him, Mr Morah said the school staff observed his gratitude.
“It gave him hope and we saw him go from being withdrawn to jovial and cheerful. Today, he feels loved and he understands what compassion means,” the teacher said.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A transformative initiative designed to equip young Nigerian engineers with the technical expertise and practical experience needed to drive sustainable power generation nationwide has been launched by Sahara Power Group.
This programme, known as the Sahara Power Technical and Innovation Academy (SPTIA), will be hosted by Egbin Power and First Independent Power Limited (FIPL), two of Nigeria’s leading power generation companies and members of the Sahara Power Group.
It was created as part of the company’s vision to deliver reliable and sustainable energy through a combination of infrastructure investment and human capital development, ensuring that Nigeria’s energy future is powered by both innovation and indigenous expertise.
Fifty graduate engineers will undergo a rigorous 10-month programme that combines intensive classroom learning with hands-on, on-the-job training across critical generation assets.
Participants will be exposed to real-time plant operations, maintenance systems, and industry best practices, positioning them for impactful careers in the power sector.
A strong emphasis will also be placed on safety as a core pillar of the academy. The trainees will undergo mandatory safety modules covering industry standards and safe work practices, complemented by practical, scenario-based sessions.
This approach is designed to instil a safety-first culture and ensure that all participants are equipped to operate confidently and responsibly beyond compliance within the Plant environment.
At the end of the programme, top-performing trainees will be deployed across Sahara Power Group’s businesses, including Egbin Power, FIPL, and upstream operations, while others will be released into the broader Nigerian electricity labour market as part of the Group’s commitment to strengthening sector-wide capacity.
The Managing Director of Sahara Power Group, Mr Kola Adesina, said the initiative represents a deliberate investment in Nigeria’s future and a strategic response to the sector’s talent needs.
“We are committed to powering Nigeria not just through infrastructure, but through people. This academy reflects our belief that the future of sustainable energy delivery must be driven by skilled, young professionals who understand the local operating environment,” he stated.
“Egbin Power and FIPL provide the ideal platforms for this initiative, given their track record of operational excellence and technical depth. By leveraging these assets, we are creating a pipeline of engineers who are not only technically sound but also industry-ready from the outset,” he added.
Mr Adesina further charged the trainees to work as a team and ensure that the training programme brings out problem-solving skills that will enable them to contribute to human development and the progress of the power sector.
“We are here to truly and responsibly make a difference. We are here to look around our environment, and we are curious enough to see how we can make things better. We believe you are to make things better and add value to the sector,” he said.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
A conference with the theme Flourish and Thrive: Investing in Boys for Stronger Families and Communities will take place at the Local Government Training School, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, Oyo State, on Thursday, May 14, 2026.
The programme, in its second edition, is part of activities lined up to mark the 2026 International Boys’ Day Conference. It is being put in place by Boys Aid Network to confront a question many institutions have quietly ignored: Who is intentionally preparing the next generation of boys for the realities of leadership, responsibility, and manhood?
Expected to grace the occasion are educators, mentors, advocates, parents, and students.
The speakers include Jesudamilare Adesegun-David, Co-founder of Enovate Lab; Samson Folarin, Editor of Punch Newspaper Weekend Titles; Oluseye Joseph, Founder of EnterpriseCEO; Barrister Dotun Akinsanmi, Managing Partner at Dotun Akinsanmi LP; and media personality, Folakemi Arowolo, popularly known as Folakemi Mighty.
The convener, Barrister Olufunke Oyinlola, described the initiative as a deliberate effort to create safe and transformational spaces for boys to learn, reflect, and engage in meaningful conversations about their future.
“Too many boys are growing up without guidance, without safe spaces to express themselves, and without people intentionally helping them navigate the realities of life. This conference is our response to that challenge. We want boys to know that they are seen, valued, and capable of becoming responsible men who positively influence their families and communities,” she stated.
She added that the conference is ultimately about helping boys see possibilities differently and exposing them to conversations that can shape their confidence, choices, and sense of purpose.
More than 300 secondary school boys from across Oyo State are expected to participate in the event, which is organised in partnership with the Oyo State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. The programme will combine keynote sessions, mentorship conversations, interactive learning, and a spelling bee competition aimed at boosting confidence and intellectual engagement.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A popular Nigerian actor, Alex Ekubo, has reportedly passed away after a protracted illness.
According to reports, the movie star died after a battle with cancer, which kept him away from public glare and social media.
Last year, some of his fans expressed concerns over his sudden absence from social media, asking about his whereabouts.
On Tuesday evening, news about his demise flooded the blogosphere.
One of the sympathisers, Peter Okoye of the P-Square fame, wrote a Rest in Peace on the Nollywood star’s picture on X, formerly known as Twitter, confirming his death.
Several personalities and others have also expressed shock over the passing of the 40-year-old entertainer, who dazzled many with his acting skills.
During his lifetime, Alex Ekubo, who was said to have died of cancer, won several awards.
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