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Tag: Mr. Segun Ogunsanya

  • Airtel’s CEO advises youths to brace up for leadership

    Airtel’s CEO advises youths to brace up for leadership

    The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya has called on Nigerian youths to brace up for leadership and to prepare themselves for future opportunities.

    Ogunsanya who was speaking, recently, at the 2017 SEED Youth Conference, which held at the University of Lagos, Akoka, emphasised the need for young Nigerians to be more result driven in their endless thirst for knowledge.

    “As youths, you have to be prepared for any opportunity; else, someone else gets it. Never be afraid to learn from someone smarter than you irrespective of class. This is very important for personal and business growth,” he said.

    According to him, young Nigerians need to focus on solving problems and imbibing the right values rather than dwelling on prevailing socio-economic challenges.

    ‘Building personal and business values are very important to building a secured future. Our youths need to focus on solving problems rather than blaming others for the challenges they face,” he urged.

    At the interactive session, Ogunsanya relived his personal experience as an undergraduate student, taking the over 1000 undergraduates in attendance through his career journey while highlighting the important decisions which made the difference for him. He urged the young participants to learn from his experience.

    Some of the practical personal tips shared at the conference include: being constructively discontent; being outcome focused; having a learning mindset; planning to not just participate but win and getting rid of trouble quickly.

    He also highlighted focusing on the vital few: speed to market; data and insight driven decision making process; soft on people, hard on performance; respect for money; zero tolerance for corruption and unethical practices as some of the business value needed to attain greatness.

    The conference was declared open by the Executive Governor of Lagos State, His Excellency, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode who was represented by the Lagos State Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Dr. Babatunde Durosimi-Etti.

    SEED Youth Conference is an annual empowerment initiative organised by ARK Media. This year’s event was attended by top industry experts and over 1000 students across the country. Some of the notable attendees include MD/CEO, Resource Intermediaries Ltd., Olusoji Oyawoye and CEO Inspiro Consulting, Mr. Jimi Tewe.

     

     

  • Airtel supports digital journalism training again

    Airtel supports digital journalism training again

    All is set for another digital journalism training sponsored by Airtel Nigeria under the aegis of The Journalism Clinic and facilitated by the widely-travelled digital journalism trainer, Dan Mason.

    Although 100 journalists will be trained this year, as was the case in 2015, this time around, data journalism will be added to the previous multimedia storytelling.

    According to Founder/Director of The Journalism Clinic, Taiwo Obe: “We decided that it would be more beneficial to add data journalism training to the curriculum this time as it has become important for journalists to be able to apply digital tools to break down the increasing deluge of data particularly from governments.”

    The plan, he added, is to train 50 multimedia storytellers and 50 data journalists in two locations – Lagos and Kaduna.

    “We are delighted to be sponsoring this training, for the second time, because we strongly believe that the more equipped our journalists are, the better for our society,” stated the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria Mr Segun Ogunsanya, on the company’s rationale for the sponsorship.

    Exact dates and locations, as well as enrolment criteria, will be announced shortly.

  • Airtel touching lives builds ultra-modern apartment for fire victim

    Airtel touching lives builds ultra-modern apartment for fire victim

    • Fulfils pledge to touching lives Season 3 beneficiary

    Airtel Nigeria has built and donated an ultra-modern, fully air-conditioned 2-bedroom apartment to the family of Mr Aina in Araromi Community at Gan-un at Magboro area of Ogun State.

    The apartment was commissioned on Wednesday in a mild celebration led by the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Airtel Nigeria, Mr Segun Ogunsanya, to mark the conclusion of the Airtel Touching Lives Season 3.

    The Aina family, which was one of the several grantees that appeared in the philanthropy series, had been struck by severe vicissitudes of life and had lost three children in a shattering fire accident that also consumed their abode as well as all their material possessions in October 2016.

    The Airtel helmsman who led a team of Airtel executives comprising the Director of Corporate Communications & CSR, Emeka Oparah, to commission and hand-over the well-finished apartment to the Aina family.

    Speaking during the brief ceremony, Ogunsanya expressed heartfelt condolences to Mr and Mrs Aina over the loss of their children while commending them for demonstrating courage, resilience and hope amid overwhelming challenges.

    L-R, Airtel Touching Lives Season 3 beneficiary, Mrs. Abosede Aina; son, Olukorede Aina; Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya; Touching Lives 3 beneficiary, Mr. Oluwasegun Aina; Director, Corporate Communications & CSR, Airtel, Emeka Oparah; nominator of the Aina family for Touching Lives Season 3, Pastor Rasaki Lasisi during the handover of keys of the newly built apartment to the Aina family at Magboro, Ogun State on Wednesday.

    “While we can do little about the past, there is so much we can do about the present and our future. And that is why we decided to step in to help this good family to rebuild their future. I must say the future of the Aina family is very bright and I encourage everyone to walk with them in getting the best out of the future,” Ogunsanya said.

    He also stated that Airtel is committed to empowering the underprivileged to realise their dreams, noting that through the Airtel Touching Lives platform, Airtel has directly impacted hundreds of people and households just as it has positively impacted the lives of many Nigerians.

    Today is for the Aina family. Indeed, I am excited to handover this 2-bedroom apartment to the Ainas, as we pray that God Almighty continues to reside with them, strengthen and enable them find peace in it. With this gesture, we believe that their journey to recovery from the unpleasant experience will be easy, smooth and much better – Mr Ogunsanya.

    Through the Airtel Touching Lives programme, however, the Aina’s have been able to pick up their lives with renewed optimism.

    “Things had become extremely hopeless for us,” said Mrs Abosede Aina, recalling the numerous inauspicious events that she, her husband and surviving child, Korede, had to endure. “But we cannot thank Airtel enough for coming into our lives, for helping us, and for showing us hope again.”

    Expressing similar sentiments, Mr Olusegun Aina thanked God and Airtel Nigeria for coming to the aid of his family. “Airtel has lifted a huge burden off me; they have walked with me in this very difficult journey, always comforting me and I cannot thank them enough,” he said.

    Friends, family members as well as well-wishers in the quiet neighbourhood joined to felicitate with the Aina family during the commissioning ceremony.

  • Airtel trains youths on leadership development

    Airtel trains youths on leadership development

    … Restates commitment to empowering young Nigerians

    In line with its commitment to empower young Nigerians as well as create a credible platform for youths in Lagos to leverage on, leading telecom operator, Airtel Nigeria, has partnered with the Lagos State Ministry of Youth Development to organise an intensive capacity building workshop for select, exceptional youths across the state.

    The one-week long training exercise, which climaxed last week at a colourful presentation ceremony at the National Youth Service Corps orientation camp in Lagos, offered many youths a rare privilege to hone their leadership skills, network, brainstorm, initiate and implement specific programmes to accelerate their personal development as well as personal effectiveness.

    The highlight of the closing ceremony was the emergence of Lana Promise Elijah as the new Lagos State Ambassador for youths. He emerged winner among the top five participants from the week-long intensive training.

    The new Lagos state youth ambassador who was presented with a brand new laptop by Airtel Nigeria was charged by the telco to lead by example and set a good standard for all youths in the state and beyond.

    The other top 4 finalists who emerged the best participants at the grand finale were each awarded with an Apple iPad from Airtel Nigeria and recognised as Lagos State Youth Ambassadors for their respective divisions.

    In the first leg of the programme, a total of 500 participants went through a five-day intensive training exercise held at designated youth centres located in the five administrative divisions of the State.

    Ten outstanding participants from each centre were then selected for the leadership camp where they acquired leadership skills, group management skills and partook in various outdoor activities.

    Participants in the IBILE initiative are required to have a minimum qualification of SSCE/WASC and the Lagos State Residents Registration Agency (LASRRA) card in order to register for the programme. Registrations forms were made available at designated Youth Centres across the state.

    The week-long activities featured exciting games, life coaching session and skills acquisition training. Specifically, the leadership training programme was designed to equip participants with the core ingredients required for a promising bright future.

    Speaking at the ceremony, the Lagos State Commissioner for Youth, Mrs Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf hailed the Airtel for its commitment towards the development and empowerment of youths in Lagos State.

    “Airtel Nigeria has demonstrated the commitment to helping and empowering young Nigerians to achieve their dreams. The Lagos State government will continue to find innovative ways through which we can collaborate more with Airtel to empower many more young Nigerians,” Mrs Akinbile-Yusuf stated.

    Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Airtel, Mr Segun Ogunsanya, who was represented by the Director for Enterprise Business, Tawa Bolarin, noted that as a youth-centric brand, Airtel strongly believes in empowering, nurturing and inspiring young Nigerians to achieve their full potentials.

    Dignitaries at the closing ceremony of the IBILE Youth Academy include the Lagos State Commissioner for Youth, Mrs. Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf; Director of Enterprise Business, Airtel Nigeria, Tawa Bolarin; Chairman, Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Youth & Social Development, Honourable Adedamola Richard Kasumu and the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Youth & Social Development, Mr. Hakeem Muri Okunola.

  • Nominations open for Airtel touching lives season 3

    Nominations open for Airtel touching lives season 3

    …restates commitment towards less privileged Nigerians.

    Following the remarkable impact and success recorded in the Seasons 1 and 2 of its revolutionary Corporate Social responsibility (CSR) 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 of Season 3 of the life-changing social investment initiative on Thursday, Airtel’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, 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.

    In his speech, 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,” Mr. Ogunsanya said.

    Enumerating how the telco’s multi-million Naira CSR initiative has brought positive changes in the lives of thousands of Nigerians, Ogunsanya stated that through Airtel Touching Lives, 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 organizations 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. Thanks you Airtel,” he summed.

    As Season 3 takes off, Airtel urged kind-hearted Nigerians to nominate persons, families or communities by calling or sending text messages using the short code 367 on Airtel network. Further information on the initiative and how to nominate can be found on the website. “Nominations can also be sent to airteltouchinglives@ng.airtel.com as well as submitted at any Airtel store nationwide.”