The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Etisalat

  • Fun at Etisalat career counseling programme

    Pupils of the six secondary schools in Ikeja who attended the 13th Etisalat career counseling programme held in Ikeja, must have thanked their fortune for being selected to attend the event.

    The programme organised in collaboration with the Lagos Empowerment & Resource Network (LEARN), provided a platform for them to learn about careers, compete, and be entertained by music sensation, Seyi Shay.

    The career counseling talks, anchored by members of staff of Etisalat, was interspersed with spelling bee and debate contests which gave opportunity for the pupils and schools to win attractive prizes.

    There were three career talks centred around the career fields of highflying workers of the telecommunication network, namely: Chimeka Garricks, Manager, Legal Services; Funmi Kayode, Project Manager, Corporate Quality and Excellence; and Niyi Adefabi, Manager, Digital Medial.

    In his presentation, Garricks, a lawyer, informed the pupils they could choose to study Law if they were unsure of what careers to do as the profession has a lot of career opportunities.

    “With Law, you can do almost anything you like,” Garricks said.  But he counseled that self discovery (learning their interests, talents, strengths and weaknesses) was crucial to making the right career choice.

    As a lawyer at Etisalat, he said he drafts contracts, advises on legal matters, and coordinates the ethics and compliance policy.

    The second speaker, Mrs Kayode, spoke about how she moved from being an engineer to a project manager.  She helped the pupils understand that any activity that involves coordinating people and resources to achieve set objectives could be regarded as project management.

    She noted that companies need project managers to support business objectives, and add value, among others.

    On his part Adefabi said he started out as a technician then grew on the job. He counseled the pupils to be open to learning and develop their soft skills.

    “As you grow in your career you will realise that 15 per cent of technical skills and 85 per cent of soft skills gets you ahead in your career,” he said.

    Chief Executive Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Matthew Willsher, represented by the Company Secretary, Aidevo Odu-Thomas, said the firm is supporting the initiative to help more pupils make career choices wisely.

    “The choice of a career path is a decision that many have made mistakes about overtime and at Etisalat we are committed to making sure we equip the Nigerian youth with the skills, nuggets and doctrines needed to excel after school. Career counselling is one of our numerous initiatives targeted at making sure students are able to develop their potentials and deliver optimally in the labour market,” he said.

    The schools in attendance at the Career Counseling Programme were: Army Cantonment Junior Secondary School; Army Cantonment Senior Secondary School; Army Children Junior Secondary School; Army Children Senior Secondary School; Community Junior High School, Maryland; Community Senior High School, Maryland; Immaculate Heart Comprehensive Junior Secondary School; Immaculate Heart Comprehensive Senior Secondary School; Mende Junior High School and Mende Senior High School; all in Lagos State.

  • Etisalat, Google urge SMEs to explore e-commerce platforms

    Etisalat and Google have urged Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and start-up businesses in the country to embrace electronic or e-commerce model of business to boost their capacity and efficiency.

    Head, Enterprise Marketing at Etisalat, Bidemi Ladipo who spoke in Lagos said start-up businesses and SMEs would benefit immensely from having online presence because it is a cost effective and a faster way to increase reach.

    Ladipo who spoke on the Role of Mobile Penetration in Online Commerce at Webmall Connect Commerce Conference sponsored by the telco said out of the over 150 million active GSM lines in Nigeria, 89 million of the subscribers use the internet with 75 per cent of these having access to the internet via mobile devices.

    He said: “Having your businesses on the digital space offers you lots of advantage; it reduces your overhead and increases your visibility and reach. At Etisalat, we are committed to offering quality of service both in voice and data, and continuously provide solutions that help enterprises and startups grow and sustainable.”

    He also stated that as part of efforts aimed at encouraging SMEs to connect their businesses online, Etisalat offers affordable and fastest internet data service and voice service including the Close User Group (CUG) platform to bring down cost on calls and data usage.

    Also speaking on the occasion, Head, Business Development, Google Nigeria, Jola Aderemi-Makinde expressed delighted that more businesses in Nigeria are embracing digital applications. She assured that Google remained committed to helping SMEs grow, leveraging on the internet as platform.

    She said: “Our focus now is to help local businesses succeed online. There are different tools available to SMEs for them to achieve their business objectives. Startups and SMEs should take advantage of these tools to expand their businesses.”

    Managing Director, Webmall, Wole Faroun said the digital space offers SMEs and startup businesses numerous opportunities to grow and expand exponentially.

    “Three years back, awareness and knowledge about e-commerce were not as high as it is today; now more people know about e-commerce although the full potential of the e-business model has yet to be fully appreciated. e-commerce offers huge potentials than we are benefiting now,” he said during a panel discussion.

     

     

  • Student wins car at Etisalat show

    Student wins car at Etisalat show

    A 400-Level English Language student of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University in Sokoto (UDUS), Chijioke Opara, has won a brand-new car in Etisalat cliq fest promo tagged: Campus festival in 9ja.

    The event was held last Thursday at the Convocation Square. Many students trooped to the venue to witness the show, which featured quiz contest and raffle draw.

    The show started with testimony  by Niyi Adesanya, a past winner,  followed by performance of 2015  Idol winner, K-peace, and Evelle.

    The raffle draw was held in three categories. In the first session, students won Android phones, Etisalat-branded T-shirts. The second session had two students – Fatimah Aliyu and Baba Muhammad – winning mini laptops.

    The telecommunication firm gave out a brandnew Hyundai i10 car in the third session. The raffles were shuffled and picked by the Dean, Students Affairs (DSA), Prof Adamu Aliero.

    When his name was announced, Chijioke, who was standing at the back of the crowd, screamed in excitement. He told CAMPUSLIFE that he bought the ticket a day earlier, saying: “It is like a dream. I am grateful to Etisalat, because this is beyond my imagination.”

  • Etisalat expands EasyStarter package’s benefits

    Etisalat has expanded the benefits available EasyStarter package to include their community of family and friends. Customers on the ‘You & Me’ platform get free N300 airtime to call any of the 5 ‘You & Me’ numbers for every N200 they recharge weekly.

    In addition, Etisalat is offering free 10MB of data weekly on recharges of N100 and above on the EasyStarter package. The new EasyStarter package also offers unlimited benefits on its leading family product, EasyStarter.

    On the EasyStarter package, customers can register five ‘You & Me’ numbers and stay connected to more member connection to 2go, Whatsapp, WeChat, Facebook and BlackBerry for only N150 weekly.

    On the improved offer, the Director, Consumer Segment, Etisalat Nigeria, Wole Rawa, explained that EasyStarter is repackaged to give more value to customers, with which they can connect more with their families and friends.

    He said: “As a network that prides itself with meeting the communication needs of its esteemed customers, we have improved our family-oriented EasyStarter package to help our customers keep aglow the bond of unity among their family members and community of friends and colleagues. Our customers on EasyStarter can now enjoy more services for less; simply dial 200 and press 1 or dial *244*2# to activate EasyStarter and then dial *233*1*etisalatnumber# to register each of your five special You & Me numbers.”

     

  • Etisalat’s suit against MTN, NCC adjourned

    Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos will on September 25, this year hear a suit by Etisalat Nigeria Limited seeking a judicial review of a Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) policy, which allegedly encourages unhealthy competition.

    The judge struck out an application by MTN challenging the suit’s hearing during the court’s long vacation.

    MTN’s lawyer Olasupo Shasore (SAN) said there was nothing urgent about the case to warrant it being heard by the vacation judge, but Etisalat’s lawyer Kola Awodein (SAN) said he was ready to proceed, adding that he wasted no time in filing his reply to MTN’s processes.

    However, NCC’s lawyer Prof. Taiwo Osipitan (SAN) said he had just been briefed so he needed time to study the casefile.

    Etisalat is seeking a review of the 30 per cent differential between MTN’s off-net and on-net retail mobile voice tariffs. It said through the differential, MTN has created a “calling club”, an example of which is its “Family and Friends” promo.

    Etisalat is contending that the promo, which offers a call rate of 11 kobo per second to eight MTN subscribers and two non-MTN subscribers, is a threat to the plaintiff’s business.

    It added that the promo aided MTN to “leverage on its size to restrict outgoing traffic to smaller operators by pricing on-net tariffs lower so as to make off-net calls unattractive.”

    According to Etisalat, the 30 per cent differential granted MTN by NCC was a breach of the commission’s Determination of Dominance in Selected Communications Markets in Nigeria (DDSCMN) regulation issued by NCC on April 25, 2013 following a study it conducted in 2012.

    It said when it realised that MTN had launched the promo, it wrote several letters to NCC, which allegedly failed to compel MTN to withdraw the ‘Family and Friends’ tariff option.

    Etisalat is contending that such leverage given by NCC to MTN would not allow for a healthy competition and must be judicially reviewed.

  • Etihad Airways partners Etisalat on lower fares

    Etihad Airways partners Etisalat on lower fares

    Etisalat has joined hands with the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Etihad Airways, on its premium GEM customers.

    The deal is aimed at strengthening the GEM reward system and offer Etisalat GEM customers loyalty benefits, which include discounted tickets and new roaming package.

    Etisalat GEM is the reward programme of Etisalat for loyal high value customers who attain a pre-defined threshold on the network in 12 months.

    With the partnership, Etisalat GEM customers will pay less than $3000 for family holiday to the UAE, which is inclusive of flight tickets, hotel stay for four nights and 30-day visa for a family of three.

    Similarly, Etisalat GEM customers are entitled to 20 per cent discount on flight tickets to the UAE when they fly Etihad Airways and roaming discounts during their holiday.

    Chief Marketing Officer of Etisalat Nigeria, Francesco Angelone, said: ‘’The goal of our partnership with Etihad Airways is to add value to the lives of our GEM customers and make holiday trips and vacations more enjoyable for them with value-added incentives. We believe that this partnership with Etihad Airways will provide unparalleled satisfaction to our GEM customers.”

    Etihad Airways’ Vice President, Africa sub-Sahara and Indian Ocean, Maurice Phohleli, said: “We are confident our collaboration with Etisalat will reward new and existing guests with travel options that provide great value. Etihad Airways prides itself on building strong relationships with its guests and, with the summer holidays here, we intend to show our appreciation by rewarding GEM customers for their loyalty.’’

    Meanwhile, Etihad Cargo, the freight business of United Arab Emirates (UAE) has increased its freighter services to Africa with the launch of a cargo only service from Abu Dhabi (AUH) to Maya Maya Airport, Brazzaville (BZV), in the Republic of Congo.

    Operating twice weekly using a Boeing 777F freighter aircraft, the new service will fly to Brazzaville via the Murtala Muhammadu  Airport, Lagos.

    The freighter has a capacity of 100 metric tonnes and will transports tools, machinery, general cargo, electronics and project equipment.

  • Etisalat celebrates Father’s Day with Pilot episode of Kids Say the Darndest Things today

    Etisalat celebrates Father’s Day with Pilot episode of Kids Say the Darndest Things today

    LAGOS, Nigeria; 21 June 2015: After a successful premier at the Silverbird Cinema, Victoria Island in Lagos, the long-awaited Nigerian adaptation of popular American kiddies comedy series, ‘Kids Say the Darndest Things’, powered by Cliqlite from Etisalat Nigeria will make its debut today on AIT Channel 21 and DSTV Channel 253.

    Speaking at the premier of the show, Director, Brands and Experience, Etisalat Nigeria, Enitan Denloye reiterated Etisalat’s commitment to discovering and nurturing talents. Denloye said, “We have decided to showcase the level of talent and wisdom that our Nigerian children have with this TV show. The series is also to enable the kids lend their voices to the society, so that the adults can learn from them and back them up rightly.”

    Executive Producer of the TV show, Chichi Nwoko recommended the show to the family, describing it as a must-watch. Nwoko added, “Kids Say the Darndest thing is a show that everyone can relate with. It is an opportunity for adults to view the world from the kids’ perspectives, so we can appreciate them better. We casted the kids based on their wittiness in speaking their minds. The show is not rehearsed  because it works best when kids say the darndest things.”

    Present at the premier were some of the kids featured in the first episode and their parents. One of the parents of the kids, Theresa Enejo commended Etisalat for sponsoring the show, adding that, the telecom has again proved its innovativeness by bringing the Nigerian version of the show to the Nigerian audience. Enejo said, “I am happy that my daughter was featured. She had the opportunity of meeting her favorite artiste 2Face and that was very exciting for her”

    Kids Say the Darndest Things features children between the ages of 2 to 10 responding to posers thrown at them by the host of the show, Tony Okungbowa.

  • Etisalat unveils Easylife 4.0

    Etisalat unveils Easylife 4.0

    Etisalat  has introduced a new tariff rate that offers customers the opportunity to make calls at 11k per second to all networks under its latest package tagged, Easylife 4.0 Limited Offer.

    Its Chief Marketing Officer, Mr Francesco Angelone, said this is a voice prepaid plan that offers the most affordable call rates to all networks in Nigeria. With Easylife 4.0 limited edition, our customers can now make calls at 11 kobo per second to over 160 million Nigerians with a daily access charge of N5, irrespective of the network being called.’

    He said this is part of efforts to sustain the revolution in the telecommunications industry that the company started about six years when it opened shop in Nigeria. His words: ‘We revolutionized the telecommunication landscape in Nigeria with the launch of Easylife 1.0, a tariff offer that halved call rates to all networks in the country. Easylife offers our customers simple and affordable call rates to all networks in Nigeria and international destinations without limitations or restrictions.’

    The offering is also to reinforce Etisalat’s customer-centric positioning, as the CMO pointed out. ‘We developed this package with an understanding of the different tastes and preferences of our customers. Insight into customer’s needs also led to the development of variants of the package, ranging from Easylife 1.0, Easylife 2.0, Easylife 3.0 to Easylife 4.0. I am pleased to announce the introduction of the Easylife 4.0 Limited Edition.’

    He said Etisalat is well prepared to handle the influx of customers that this value proposition might bring, recalling that the company is focused on customer satisfaction that has seen it come out tops on Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC’s) ratings over the years. ‘Let me assure you that Etisalat will remain committed to delivering innovative, life enhancing products and services to our customers as we work to realise our vision of a world without limitations to communication,’ he said.

  • Government Secondary School, Imo wins Etisalat U-15 School Cup

    Government Secondary School, Imo wins Etisalat U-15 School Cup

    Government Secondary School, Imo State emerged winners of the second edition of the Etisalat U-15 School Cup after beating  Government Model School, Bida, Niger State by 4-2 carting home the trophy in a thrilling final game played at the Campos Square Mini-Stadium, Lagos Island, last weekend.

    For its feat, the winning school also took home the star prize of N2 million educational award and N50,000 each to players of the team, while the first-runner up Government Model School, Bida, Niger, went home with N1 million and N30,000 for each player of the team.

    The second runner-up, Winners College Akure, Ondo State, who defeated Washington Memorial Grammer School, Anambra, through the ‘sudden death’ penalty shootout after both schools had played for 90 minutes and extra time  received the sum of N750,000  and each player took home N20,000.

    The final match saw the Imo representative take possession of the match from the blast of the whistle. However, the defence of the Niger school team was resilient until four minutes to the end of the first half when it crumbled and Nnadi Tochukwu, who emerged the Most Valuable Player of the competition, scored the first goal of the final.

    On resumption of the second half, the Niger boys showed seriousness and their efforts were rewarded with an equalizing goal. As both teams were on a one all, the tempo of the game changed and both teams scored each other in a dramatic fashion. The equalising goal from the Niger team spurred the Imo team who changed the course of the game and banged in two goals through Amaraegbu Anderson and skillful midfielder,  Enwereji Uchenna 30 seconds to the end of the match.

    Speaking before the pulsating final match, Chief Marketing Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Francesco Angelone expressed satisfaction with the level of the competition as well as the passion displayed by the teams.

    Angelone said,  “37 secondary schools began with us at the preliminaries last year and eight regional teams emerged for the quarter-finals stage in Lagos and the thrilling semi-final matches produced the finalists.”

    He continued, “The Etisalat U-15 School Cup is our own way of providing a platform for young footballers to express their passion for the game and be rewarded for it.”

    Angelone added that the partnership with FC Barcelona continues to discover and mould budding talents for African football. In his own contribution, President, Nigerian School Sports Federation, (NSSF) Ibrahim Mohammad commended Etisalat Nigeria for creating such platform for secondary students in the country.

    Muhammad said, “We are proud to partner with Etisalat in this rewarding initiative. The idea is to marry football with education and we believe that all the participants have benefited positively from the initiative.”

    The final, watched by a mammoth crowd, was also spiced with entertainment by talented singers like  Terry G; Dammy Krane and May D. There was also a Ball Juggling competition and the jugglers went home with fantastic prizes.

  • Etisalat’s quarterly profit up 7.6%

    Etisalat’s quarterly profit up 7.6%

    Abu Dhabi-listed carrier, Etisalat yesterday  reported a 7.6 per cent rise in first-quarter profit, with its acquisition of a majority stake in Maroc Telecom and rising income from its Nigeria’s operation helping to lift revenue by nearly a third and its subscriber base by a fifth.

    Etisalat, which operates in 19 countries across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, made net profit of 2.18 billion dirhams ($593.6 million) in the three months to March 31, the company said in a statement, against 2.02 billion dirhams a year earlier.

    Two analysts polled by Reuters had forecast that the Gulf’s No.2 telecoms operator by market value would post quarterly profit between 2.16 billion dirhams and 2.47 billion dirhams.

    The United Arab Emirates’ former monopoly generated quarterly revenue of 12.91 billion dirhams, up from 9.9 billion dirhams a year earlier.

    Domestic revenue rose 11 percent to 7.2 billion dirhams, while international revenue jumped by 69 percent to 5.6 billion dirhams.

    The international increase was because of Etisalat’s consolidation of Maroc Telecom after it bought a 53 per cent stake in the African operator for 4.14 billion euros last May, plus rising income from Etisalat’s operations in Afghanistan.

    Maroc Telecom, which has operations in Gabon, Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Mali and this year also acquired Etisalat’s subsidiaries in six African countries, reported first-quarter net profit of 1.32 billion Moroccan dirhams ($133.10 million) on Thursday, down 10.2 percent year on year.