The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Airtel

  • Entry opens for Airtel touching Lives 3

    Entry opens for Airtel touching Lives 3

    Airtel Nigeria has launched the third season of the life changing CSR initiative, Airtel Touching Lives. The initiative, which was launched on Thursday 15 September, 2016 provides an opportunity for the less privileged members of the society to get the much needed help they deserve.

    The laudable CSR initiative which is currently in its third season has positively impacted the lives of several families and communities over the course of the first two seasons. With the launch of the 3rd season, the opportunity is open again for members of the public to nominate beneficiaries who they think are deserving of an opportunity to have their lives positively transformed.

    How to Nominate a Beneficiary

    To ease the process of Nomination, various channels have been set aside to get nominations from even the most rural part of the country. Members of the public can;

    • Text or Call the short code 367
    • Send a mail to touchinglives@ng.airtel.com with the details of the nominated beneficiary
    • Visit airteltouchinglives.com and click on the nomination form
    • Write in less than 1000 words; why you think the person, organization or community needs Airtel’s touch, providing their names, phone number and address and drop off in any Airtel Shop or Distributor closest to you Nationwide.

    You can make a difference in someone’s life, nominate a deserving beneficiary today #AirtelTouchingLives3.

  • Airtel touching lives CSR enters season 3

    Airtel touching lives CSR enters season 3

    Following the remarkable impact and success recorded in the Seasons 1 and 2 of its revolutionary Corporate Social responsibility intervention tagged: ‘Touching Lives’, Airtel Nigeria, has announced the Season 3 in line with its commitment to making sustainable impact on the lives of disadvantaged people, the needy and communities across Nigeria.

    Speaking at the media announcement/unveiling initiative at the weekend, Airtel’s Managing Director/Chief Executive, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya, explained that through Touching Lives, the telecoms firm offered practical relief, succour, hope, opportunities and credible platforms to liberate and empower the underprivileged, disadvantaged and hard to reach persons in the society.

    Ogunsanya said: “At Airtel we believe that to be a great company we must first be a good company, and we are very much committed to earning our social license – the love and acceptance of the various communities and people we serve.

    “When we launched the maiden edition of Touching Lives, major stakeholders especially the media wanted to know if the initiative was a one-off and if the launch was just for media exposure and brand building. Our responses haven’t changed – Airtel Nigeria is committed to creating positive impact in the various communities it operates in and we are genuinely inspired to uplift the less privileged around us as well as create prosperity platforms for many Nigerians on a long-term, sustainable basis.”.

    While enumerating how the telco’s multi-million naira CSR initiative has brought positive changes in the lives of thousands of Nigerians, Ogunsanya stated that the company provided potable water for several starved communities, built maternal and health centres for remote communities, built and renovated schools to provide quality education to the less privileged.

    Ogunsanya, while explaining that Airtel Nigeria is not intending to be the only company touching lives, since there are millions of people it cannot reach for different reasons, called on corporate organisations and individuals to consider ways to complement the initiative.

    His words: “Part of the challenges for us is that we cannot entertain all the entries received. What we can only do is consider the Need, Impact and Affordability of the initiative for 36 people and communities out of several millions. That’s why Airtel is inviting more companies to come on this journey.

    “This initiative gives room for positive pressure from neighbouring communities and government. If we adopt a school and transform it for good, government can take up the surrounding schools. That’s what we are talking about.”

    In a goodwill message, publisher of Business Day newspaper, Mr. Frank Aigbogun, commended Airtel for giving voice to the voiceless, supporting the down-trodden and bringing smiles to the faces of needy Nigerians, observing that the telecoms firm was not compelled to invest in charity, but inspired purely by love for the less privileged people.

    Similarly, Chief Executive Officer of Brila FM, Dr. Larry Izamoje, who pledged support to propagate the essence and accomplishment of Airtel Touching Lives via Brila FM radio stations across Nigeria, noted that the CSR initiative has become one of the most notable platforms for empowering disadvantaged people to achieve their goals in life.

    Izamoje commended the company for the good initiative while recalling the narratives of how CRS touched and transformed the lives, hopes and aspirations of great sportsmen like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and a few others.

    Recounting how it happened for him, one of the beneficiaries, Mr David Anyaele, Executive Director, Centre for Citizens with disabilities said that the impact of Airtel Touching Lives initiative has helped him know that everyone can touch lives. “It was the Airtel Touching Lives season 1 that made me know that there are over 25million people living with physical challenges like me and I cannot afford to let them remain like that. After Airtel touched my life, I stepped out to also touch the lives of other people. Thank you Airtel,” he stressed.

     

  • Osinbajo, Airtel, Zuckerberg hail Aso Villa Demo Day winners

    Osinbajo, Airtel, Zuckerberg hail Aso Villa Demo Day winners

    Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, Airtel and co-founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg have commended all the participants of the Aso Villa Demo Day, a presidential initiative aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and innovation through the use of new and emerging technologies.

    Airtel, one of the major sponsors of the initiative, endowed and presented cash prizes to the top three participants.

    The presentation, which held at the Aso Villa at the weekend, was attended by Prof Osinbajo, Airtel Chief Executive Officer, Segun Ogunsanya; Information Minister Lai Mohammed,Communications Technology Minister Adebayo Shittu, Zuckerberg, and CEOs from various sectors across corporate Nigeria.

    Osinbajo congratulated all the participants, saying they were all winners. While lauding the country’s youth for their innovation, creativity, drive and entrepreneurial spirit, the Vice President said there was so much hope in what the young generation could do.

    He hinted that the Federal Government is exploring ways to cooperate with Facebook in the next few months.

    Ogunsanya reaffirmed Airtel’s commitment to pioneering innovation in the telecoms industry as well as seeking credible platforms to support the government and the youth.

    Zuckerberg said it was inspiring to see what young Nigerians had done in app development and use of technology.

    He said his trip had afforded him the opportunity to see the talents that abound in the country. He noted that the youth would not just shape the country but will shape the whole world.

  • How to fix economy, by Nestle, Airtel, LCCI chiefs, others

    How to fix economy, by Nestle, Airtel, LCCI chiefs, others

    Business leaders and chief executives of major companies across the key sectors of the economy yesterday stressed the need for the Federal Government to address the challenges of infrastructural gap, policy inconsistency and fiscal and monetary policy mismatch so as to stimulate the nation’s economic development.

    The chief executives and business leaders in the manufacturing, telecoms and financial services sectors as well as economic thinkers and the organised private sector (OPS) met yesterday in Lagos at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) under the auspices of the 2nd edition of the CEO Roundtable organised by the NSE and Bloomberg.

    The Managing Director, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Dharnesh Gordon, said the problem of inadequate power supply had worsened due to unavailability of gas, forcing companies to resort to more expensive alternatives.

    In a two-point advice to President Muhammadu Buhari, Gordon urged the government to focus on resolving the power problem and to enforce the rule of law as basis for government actions across all tiers of the government.

    According to him, government should discourage the tendency by tiers of government to resort to all sorts of self-helps in the name of revenue generation without recourse to national laws on such issues.

    CEO, Airtel Networks Limited, Mr, Segun Ogunsanya, said Nigeria needs to develop a vision of her own and channel resources to achieving this, noting that a visionary approach to the development of the nation would lead to proper allocation of resources.

    He urged government to take a broad outlook to national economic development, pointing out that while the immediate challenge of foreign exchange (forex) may be important, there are other factors that engender capital and investment flow including infrastructure, political system, security and stable policies.

    Ogunsanya urged the government to leverage on the information communication technology (ICT) potential of the country to drive inclusive economic growth.

    According to him, government should consider digitalisation  as a viable option for growth by creating affordable access to broadband.

    He said the telecoms companies should be considered as part of the manufacturing sector and urged the government to allow broad and non-discriminatory access to forex.

    Director-General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Mr. Muda Yusuf, said government should work to rekindle investors’ confidence in the  economy because capital and investment flows from investors are needed to complement government’s developmental drives.

    According to him, government can rekindle investors’ confidence in the economy by the quality and consistency of its policies.

    Senior Economist, Africa and Middle East, Bloomberg Intelligence, Mark Bohlund, noted that Nigeria will be left behind if it fails to fix the power problem.

    He also underscored the importance of strict adherence to rule of law as this will drive investment inflow into the country.

    Director, Investment Banking, Chapel Hill Denham, Mr. Ayo Fashina, called for a more measured and coordinated approach to monetary policies management, describing the current approach as more of guesswork.

    Economist and public policy analyst, Dr. Ogho Okiti, said government needs to coordinate development blueprint and identify policy options that will help to drive the growth of the economy.

    “Money doesn’t grow the economy, policies do,” Okiti said.

  • Tiwamyenji Phiri is 2016 Airtel Trace Music Star

    Tiwamyenji Phiri is 2016 Airtel Trace Music Star

    Zambia’s Tiwamyenji Phiri was recently crowned as the 2016 Airtel TRACE Music Star winner by U.S. international Pop/R&B superstar Keri Hilson at the grand finale which held at the Ultima Studios in Lagos.

    The competition amongst the 10 finalists was fierce, with Tanzania’s Melissa John beating Madagascar’s representative Johanna Rakotomavo to take second place. The night offered great talent but finally it was Tiwa whom the celebrity judges, Keri Hilson, Briant “BeeHigh” Biggs and Fally Ipupa voted as Africa’s next top talent.

    Phiri’s prize includes a record deal with a major label; mentorship for a year with singer/songwriter, actress and record producer Keri Hilson, for a total value exceeding $500,000, as well as worldwide media exposure through the various TRACE platforms.

    “I look forward to working with Tiwa over the next year and to share some of the knowledge and experiences I have acquired in the music industry over the years”, says Keri Hilson.

    The glitzy event attracted the cream of Nigeria’s entertainment circuit including Nigerian comedian Chigul, Hip Hop artist Vector as well as celebrity artist and speed painter Fola David, who painted a tribute portrait of late celebrated boxer Mohammed Ali at the event.

    There was also a performance by the 2015 Airtel TRACE Music Star winner from Tanzania, Mayunga Nalimi, who performed his latest track, “Please Don’t Go Away” which features renowned singer and last year’s celebrity mentor Akon as well as Nigerian reggae-dancehall singer Patoranking.

  • Airtel offers 90% cut on roaming rates

    Airtel offers 90% cut on roaming rates

    Airtel Nigeria is offering customers up to 90 per cent off roaming rates and other amazing discounts on its newly repackaged Roam & Home Bundle plan.

    The Roam & Home Bundle plan is designed to make travelling more enjoyable and  empower telecoms consumers to be connected with business associates, family and friends while overseas.

    According to Airtel, the new offering allows customers to roam at a hugely discounted rate on 33 selected networks in 27 countries, also offering bundle balance that can be used locally or when a customer returns home.

    With the Airtel Roam & Home, customers can receive calls and SMS without charge and account balance can be requested by dialling *123*3#.

    Customers can subscribe to the Roam & Home Bundle by dialing *789#. The service can be activated either at home or abroad by dialing the shortcode.

    The minimum bundle of N5, 000 comes with seven days validity while subscription with validity of 30 days begins from N10, 000. Customers get daily notifications on usage after subscription.

    Customers can make calls back home to Nigeria while abroad (roaming) across the 27 countries for as low as N60/20secs. In addition to this, customers also receive calls and SMS free (T&C apply). And when back in Nigeria, customers can also use the balance in their Roam and Home bundle to make calls at local rate.

    On the package, the company’s Chief Commercial Officer, Ahmad Mokhles, noted that Airtel is committed to partnering Nigerians on every international trip, ensuring that they get real value and also enjoy seamless telephony experience at the best tariff.

    With Roam & Home Bundle, customers remain seamlessly connected to their families, friends and business associates and at the same time benefit amazing discounts on the Airtel network, Mokhles added.

  • Airtel showers customers with gifts

    Airtel showers customers with gifts

    Airtel Nigeria has introduced the SmartConnect 2.0, a new offer that gives prepaid customers six times the value of every recharge.

    According to Airtel, SmartConnect 2.0 gives more value and enrich the lives of consumers, empowering them to do much more as well as succeed in their personal and professional endeavours.

    The new offering is created for new prepaid customers. Nigerians, who desire to enjoy the benefits of the package, will need to buy a Airtel SIM card, register it and recharge to enjoy six times the value of every recharge.

    For instance, when a new customer recharges N100, he/she gets N600 airtime instantly, while a recharge of N1,000 gives N6,000 instant airtime.

    For a N100 recharge, customers get N100 in their main account, with additional bonus of N250 for calls to all networks and N250 or 50 MB data, while the N1,000 recharge gives customers N1,000 in the main account, N2,500 for calls to all networks and N2,500 or 500 MB data.

    Customers are expected to recharge their lines by dialling *126*pin#. The airtime value in the customer’s main airtime has no validity expiry; while bonuses have a seven-day validity.

    Customers can continuously roll over their bonuses if they recharge their lines within the seven-day validity of their existing bonus.

     

  • Airtel considers listing on Stock Exchange

    Airtel considers listing on Stock Exchange

    Airtel Networks Limited, Nigeria’s second largest telecommunication company, may consider listing its shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) as it considers various options to further upscale its business.

    Its Managing Director, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya, yesterday said the company was looking at every option, including listing of its shares on the NSE and would take appropriate decision at the right time.

    Ogunsanya, who was one of the speakers at the 2nd edition of the CEO Roundtable, organised by the NSE and Bloomberg at the Stock Exchange House, Lagos, had a brief discussion with NSE Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Oscar Onyema, on the prospects of listing during the pre-event session.

    “We are not against listing on the NSE,” Ogunsanya said, urging the government to leverage on the information and communication technology (ICT) potential of the country to drive inclusive economic growth.

    According to him, the government should consider digitisation of Nigeria as a viable option for growth by creating affordable access to broadband to Nigerians.

    MTN Nigeria, Nigeria’s largest telecommunication company, has already appointed the advisory team and set out a roadmap towards listing on the NSE in 2017.

    The listing of MTN and Airtel is expected to enliven the telecommunication sector of the NSE. Previously listed telecommunication companies had failed to connect the much-talked about potential of the industry with investors’ returns. Starcomms was delisted after long-running losses.

    The board of MTN Nigeria had announced the appointment of  Stanbic IBTC Capital Limited and its affiliates, Standard Bank of South Africa Limited and Standard Advisory Limited London  and Citigroup Global Markets Limited as the joint transaction advisors and joint global coordinators for the proposed listing of MTN Nigeria on the NSE.

    Stanbic IBTC would serve as the lead issuing house in a team that would also include Nigerian receiving agents, banks and other advisers, which would be appointed in due course.

    “MTN Nigeria is pleased to announce that its board of directors has resolved to proceed with preparations for a listing of MTN Nigeria on The NSE as soon as commercially and legally possible and has established a management task team with the responsibility to guide the company towards a listing. At present, MTN Nigeria is targeting that the listing takes place during 2017, subject to suitable market conditions,” the company stated.

    It should be recalled that as part of the conditions to settle its $3.4 billion fine by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), MTN Nigeria had announced its intention to list its shares on the NSE as soon as commercially and legally possible.

  • Police MfB, Intel, Airtel partner on ICT

    A technology firm, Intel, in conjuction with Airtel and the Nigerian Police  Force (NPF) Micro Finance Bank (NPF MfB),  has partnered on information communication technology (ICT).

    Intel Country Manager  Mr. Olubunmi Ekundare said the partnership was designed to add value and bring technology closer to the people.

    Speaking during the partnership programme at the Zone 2, Command headquarters in Onikan, Lagos, Mr Ekundare said ICT is crucial for security, hence the reason for the partnership.

    According to him, the aim is to make technology more accessible and affordable to all, while creating jobs and promoting Small Scale Enterprises (SME’s).

    Intel Business Development Manager, Folake Oyekanmi, said every police officer, who is a customer with NPF MfB, can benefit from the Personal Computer (PC) offering.

    She said ICT is the next big thing, adding that all age group must accept ICT. “We are giving out the PC, the next money making machine at a very low price, NPF MfB will offer loan for its acquisition and Airtel will provide free internet services to make use of the device. We are also going to train the police on how to use the PC and on entrepreneurship to start a business; all that would be needed to start a business will be downloaded on the PC. The PC’s have large memory, it is very fast and portable,” she said.

    Airtel Senior Manager, Devices and Partnership, Bobby Iduoze said the partnership is an opportunity to learn and engage oneself.

    He said Airtel will offer free data services to anyone who purchased the PC from the NPF MfB.

    “We will give your PC five gigbyte (5G) worth of free data to connect to other devices,” he said.

    Deputy Commissioner of Police, Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Zone 2, Lagos, Mr.  Isaac Akinmoyede said as the world is growing in ICT, there is need for security officials to grow along same direction.

    “The way of doing things has changed over the years and the police cannot afford to be left behind; we have to move with the trend,” he said.

  • Airtel unveils code to end unsolicited SMS, others

    Airtel unveils code to end unsolicited SMS, others

    Airtel has announced its ‘Do not Disturb’ short code, 2442, designed to allow subscribers manage all promotional messages sent to their lines.

    The self-service platform allows customers to either opt-in or out of the ‘Do Not Disturb’ service, thereby empowering subscribers to end unsolicited promotional SMS or promotional voice calls. To use the service customers can text ‘help’ to 2442.

    Its Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Ahmad Mokhles,   said the code was introduced in compliance with the directive of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and in response to complaints of unsolicited SMS or promotional voice calls by some customers.

    “Airtel is committed to offering excellent customer service and we are pleased to introduce the ‘Do Not Disturb’ self-service to empower our esteemed customers to decide what messages or calls they receive from the network.

    “While there are customers that demand promotional services to keep abreast with various innovative products and services, there are others who do not want to be disturbed – that is why NCC has mandated telecoms companies in Nigeria to create this service, providing options for customers to either opt-in or out,” he said.