Telco restates commitment to environment protection

Etisalat Nigeria, a GSM provider, has reiterated its commitment to environmental conservation in Nigeria by continually doing its business responsibly and in conformity with international best practices on environmental standards.

Oluseyi Osunsedo, head, environmental compliance/public relations, Etisalat Nigeria, said this at an event organised by the Nigerian Environmental Society (NES) in partnership with the United Nations Information Centre and Etisalat Nigeria to commemorate the 2016 World Environment Day, in Lagos.

While underlining the importance of a healthy ecosystem to environmental sustainability and socio-economic growth, Osunsedo said Etisalat would continue to promote responsible environmental conservation in and around all its operations across Nigeria.
“At Etisalat Nigeria, we are passionate about the environment. This is why we have environment as part of our three core CSR platforms, the other two being education and health. We take environmental protection seriously because we are aware of the negative impacts that can occur from improper management of natural resources and its effect on the environment,” she said.

Iyabo Philips, director, environment services, Lagos State Ministry of Environment, who represented the Lagos State commissioner for environment, commended Etisalat and other partners for their collaborative effort on environmental sustainability.

She said: “Environmental conservation is our collective responsibility. Our existence depends on how well we can keep our environment because we are all connected: human, plant and the earth.”

Chairman, NES, Eugene Itua, while stating that Nigeria was blessed with a very rich wildlife, however, decried the harmful practices that have put wildlife into near extinction. “We must not allow greed and personal gains push us to decimate and destroy the earth’s irreplaceable treasure. As the dominant specie, it is our responsibility to take care of the earth,” he said.

Also, Oluseyi Soremekun, national information officer, United Nations Information Centre (UNIC), Lagos, said: ‘Go Wild for Life,’ the theme for this year’s World Environment Day, was informed by the need to raise awareness on the wider implications of increase in illegal trade in wildlife, noting, “Individuals involved are motivated solely by short-term gains at the expense of long-term benefits to communities and habitats.”