CWG wins best ict company in CSR

Leading Pan-African ICT Company, Computer Warehouse Group Plc (CWG) has once again been named the best ICT Company in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at the 2015 Annual CSR Summit and awards ceremony organized by CTRU concepts, in Lagos.

The award is in recognition of CWG’s effort towards making a difference in its immediate and extensive communities through its CSR programmes. Presenting the award, Southwest Regional Director of UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), Dr. Adeshina Fagbenro-Bryon observed that “CWG has made significant contributions to the growth of the Nigerian society, especially in the areas of skills transfer, donations and the development of the education sector.” According to him, “CWG is worthy of commendation especially when you realise that they are committed to giving back to the society even outside their legal requirements.  Hence, this award is well deserved.”

Speaking at the event, Mr. Phillip Obioha, the Chief Operating Officer, CWG Plc explained that CWG CSR programme is uniquely designed to follow through on beneficiaries using global standard procedures to ensure that desired ends are met.  According to Mr. Obioha, “So far, our programmes have been very effective because we do not just empower people and let them off. We equip them, give them up-close mentoring and follow through after, to ensure that they reach desired maturity in the end. Of the over 800 graduates from the Academy, about 85% have been employed in leading companies such as IBM, CWG, MTN, Standard Chartered Bank, Stanbic-IBTC, Chevron, Cadbury, Etisalat, Ericsson and Unilever among others, while about 10% have opted to become IT entrepreneurs.”

He further explained that CWG’s CSR policy thrust is built on the twin pillars of Educational and intellectual development. This choice, he said, is steeped in the company’s belief that the best way to create a technologically driven society is through the support and reward for technological expertise.

Recently, CWG hosted the first Oracle Partner Summer School in the entire sub-Sahara Africa in conjunction with Oracle at no cost to the candidates. This is quite distinct from the company’s skills transfer program christened “CWG Academy” which is designed to equip fresh graduates with the required skills that will make them employable or become successful entrepreneurs. The programme offers theoretical and hands-on training  Similarly, the CWG reward scheme which is designed to extol the essence of attaining academic excellence among students of Universities within CWG community  started with the University of Lagos, a couple of years back and now has  been extended to Universities in Doula, Accra, Kampala, Abuja and Port Harcourt.

Recall that CWG’s Chief Executive Officer, Austin Okere is an Entrepreneur in Residence at the Columbia Business School in New York, where he lectures entrepreneurs from all over the world in the capacity similar to that of an associate professor.

He has also guest-lectured at various prominent Entrepreneurship Development Centres including Leap Africa, Lagos Business School (LBS), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Fate Foundation, Centre for Leadership and Values (CVL), United States International University (USIU), Nairobi amongst others.

Over the years, CWG has received numerous accolades for her CSR endeavours. These include the Best ICT Company in CSR in 2011and 2012 consecutively.