As part of its commitment to the educational development of the girl child in Nigeria, Etisalat Nigeria recently organised a career counselling session for students of Government Girl’s College, Dala in Kano State.
The Etisalat Career Counselling Programme is part of Etisalat’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives linked with the company’s Employee Volunteering Scheme, a platform through which Etisalat staff impact students within the company’s host communities, by delivering career enhancing sessions and mentorship to students in secondary schools, based on the employees’ fields of expertise. Oyetola Oduyemi, Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility, Etisalat Nigeria while speaking at the programme said the career counselling programme is one of the numerous education development initiatives through which the Telcos invest in the Nigerian youths in recognition of the vital role education plays in the life of young people.
Oduyemi added that the Government Girl’s College, Dala, was chosen as part of the company’s contribution to reverse the twin problem of low enrolment of girls from the Northern Nigeria in school as well as lack of interest to advance their education beyond the secondary school.
According to her, “At Etisalat Nigeria, we believe that education is the foundation for societal development
and a critical weapon to break poverty cycles. This is why we organise Career Counselling programme to encourage children to stay in school and pursue career paths that are in line with their strengths and interests”.
“Statistics show that an increasing number of female children in Northern Nigeria are not going to school. And for those that make it as far as secondary school, almost half of them will not go further. Hence, we have decided to enlighten the students in Government Girl’s College,
Dala to help them discover their interest and reach their potential”, she said.
Oduyemi further disclosed that equipping students with adequate knowledge of their career path and the requisite skills could significantly
help to stem youth unemployment in Nigeria.
To her, “When students are not aware of the career options out there, or when they are aware of some of them but lack in-depth knowledge on what it takes to succeed in these areas, then they are likely to make wrong career choices.”
Abdulagi Adamu, Head, Guidance and Counselling unit, Kano State Education Management Board, commended Etisalat Nigeria for its continued support to the education sector in the state and across Nigeria. “We appreciate what you are doing in the education sector here
in Kano State. What you have done here again is a major step towards solving one of the challenges we face in the education sector in Kano State,
which is education of the girl child.
This is a gesture we won’t forget in a hurry, because enlightening girls on their career choices will go a long way in giving them direction towards
their future success”, he said.
