MTN invests in education through annual staff volunteer scheme

Staff of MTN Nigeria, leading Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Company, will for the next 21 days embark on social projects aimed at lifting communities where the company operates, under its 2015 edition of 21 Days of Y’ello Care. The initiative is an annual staff volunteerism scheme, which is implemented simultaneously in all 22 operating countries of the MTN Group. The focus of this year is education, which is a continuation of the previous editions. The programme, initiated by MTN Group in 2007, encourages MTN staff in all its 22 operations in Africa, Asia and the Middle East to volunteer their resources, time and skills to help others and the communities they live and work in.

Themed “Investing in Education for All”, this year’s edition will have staff of MTN Nigeria, the nation’s largest operator by subscriber numbers, engage in a number of activities that will draw attention to the fundamental role of education in the development of the country and also contribute resources to support conducive learning environment in schools. Reiterating MTN Nigeria’s commitment to giving back to communities during the flag-off of the programme in Lagos, Michael Ikpoki, chief executive officer of the telecoms company, described ICT and education as critical tools for social and economic development. “Limited access to quality education continues to plague Africa’s growth and development, but the role of digital learning in this era is becoming more compelling. This is because digital learning brings to the table immediate, diverse and customised access to world-class education and beyond that, a multiplicity of opportunities for advancement,” Ikpoki said.

The weeks ahead are filled with various initiatives that will enable MTN staff, through the programme, to continue to contribute in unique ways towards improving education standards in Nigeria. Digital learning facilities in libraries of 12 schools across the six geopolitical zones will be established, and there will also be book reading sessions to encourage students to read and acquire knowledge, as well as environmental beautification projects among others.
The Y’ello Tutor initiative, entails the creation of an Online Learning Hub that will be made accessible to students in primary and secondary schools across the country, providing them access to learning materials, tutorials, examinations practice questions and other educational resources.

According to MTN, it would also embark on a Teacher-Empowerment initiative that will see MTN staff engage teachers on the benefit of ICT and its importance in education via the Train-the-Teacher project. Speaking further on the 21 Days of Y’ello Care initiative, Akinwale Goodluck, corporate services executive at MTN Nigeria, said that the telecommunications company’s focus on education for the past four years is specifically driven by its commitment to the application and adoption of digital learning.

“Digitally equipped libraries will be established across the country to drive access to digital learning. Access to the Internet and education will position a great number of pupils on the same platform as their peers in more developed countries, helping to ensure that they do not suffer learning disadvantages even though they live in a developing nation,” Goodluck further added. Present at the ceremony were the Muyinat Abimbola, director, co-curriculum, science and technology, Lagos State Ministry of Education; Amina Oyagbola, human resources executive; Tsola Barrow, sales and distribution executive; Olubayo Adekanmbi, chief marketing officer, among other executives of MTN.