‘We Remain Committed To Youth Empowerment’

By Henry Ojelu

Leading telecommunications company, Etisalat has reinstated its commitment to youth empowerment.

Chief Executive Officer of the company Mr. Steve Evans, said the company is committed to driving education development and equipping youths with the educational skills and knowledge required to advance the future of the nation through the different programmes currently embarked upon by Etisalat.

Speaking at the Africa CEO Roundtable and Conference on Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility organised by Thistle Praxis Consulting in Calabar, the telecoms chief said the company has focused much of its Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, interventions on education, one of the major Millennium Development Goals.

“At Etisalat Nigeria, we believe that education is the bedrock of development, and is an essential pre-requisite to the development of the economy and its growth, along with access to food and health care”.

He listed some of the projects currently in place and supported by the company to include the Adopt-A-School Initiative, Career Counselling and Mentoring scheme, Etisalat Teacher Training Programme and establishment of the Etisalat CSR Centre in partnership with the Lagos Business School.

Evans who was part of the session tagged “Social dimensions of sustainable development” chaired by Director, Institute of Security Studies, Senegal Dr. Deogratias Barakamfitiye, further highlighted the fact that successive Nigerian governments have demonstrated their commitment to achieving the Millennium Development Goals especially with regards to education, and urged other corporate organisations to partner with the government in helping to facilitate a revival of the education sector.

The 2012 Africa CEO Round-table and Conference on CSR, with the theme: “Sustainable development: Expanding economic opportunities through public-private synergy” is an industry flagship, all-inclusive CSR and Sustainability management event of the year and the first of its kind in Africa organised by Thistle Praxis Consulting Limited.