At the beginning of the second quarter of 2013, Etisalat elevated CSR to academic heights by instituting a Masters in Telecommunications Engineering at the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, to contribute to local manpower with regards to telecommunications technology. BEN UZOR examines the achievements in the two-year life of this unique initiative.
On May 16, 2013, Etisalat Nigeria unveiled a first-of-a-kind initiative, a Masters in Telecommunications Engineering at the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. This programme was borne out of the need to equip engineering graduates with the capacity and expertise to advance the telecommunications sector in Nigeria in a practical way, thereby contribute in shaping the industry which has been tagged as the backbone of the nation’s economy.
Though Etisalat Nigeria was a late entrant in its chosen business environment in Nigeria, it has shown in the growth and acceptance of its businesses in Nigeria, as well as by some of its bold initiatives that being late to the market does not always mean being late in delivering the best products and services.
Etisalat represents innovation, to Nigerians, and a leader to those that were otherwise its predecessors in the market. CSR has been defined over-time as an ongoing commitment by a business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while demonstrating respect for people, communities, society at large and the environment. CSR marries the concepts of global citizenship with environmental stewardship and sustainable development. It is conceived as the inclusion of public interest in business-decision making in a manner that honours people, the planet and profit.
In a market where virtually everything including sales promotions have been sold off as CSR, Etisalat saw the need to support the industry with sustainable manpower to facilitate the planning, designing, commissioning and monitoring of telecommunications networks hitherto done using external resources. That was essentially what the programme set out to achieve about two years ago.
We live in an environment where government is expected to do so much for its citizens, but the reality is that the need for infrastructure and social welfare in the country is vast. It is therefore essential for the private sector to intervene, especially since their businesses are much closer to the people and they can identify critical intervention areas and make quick decisions towards providing solutions.
In its commitment to the people among who are its customers, Etisalat has set a standard in Corporate Social Responsibility. As a responsible corporate citizen, on entry into the Nigerian market, Etisalat did not wait to start making profits before embarking and entrenching itself in sustainable CSR activities and projects. In addition to embarking on various projects in partnership with government and other stakeholders in implementing its CSR initiatives, Etisalat has been championing and extending the frontiers of CSR in the country.
The Etisalat Telecoms Engineering Programme, a Master’s Degree course in Telecommunications Engineering at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, provides training and exposure to about 20 students annually. To provide the much needed local expertise to sustain the Master programme, Etisalat is also sponsoring four lecturers to study for a PhD in Telecommunications Engineering at the Plymouth University, UK.
This initiative demonstrates Etisalat’s efforts in ensuring that Nigeria becomes more self-reliant in providing the expertise and manpower to run its telecommunications industry. The idea behind developing a Masters in Telecommunications Engineering, according to the CEO of Etisalat Nigeria, Matthew Willsher, is to provide Nigeria with a more sustainable option of developing the telecoms industry using home grown graduates from this programme. The Etisalat Engineering programme bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge in the classroom and practical experience on the field, thus deepening the knowledge acquisition process
As further proof of its unwavering commitment to the programme, the telecoms company also takes the top three students of the programme on an all-expense paid trip to Dubai for an intensive training at the Etisalat Academy. This training is to reinforce the students’ practical knowledge of telecoms engineering and provide them with a competitive edge.
Other Etisalat activities include Adopt-a-School programme in collaboration with the Lagos State government. Under the initiative, Etisalat adopted three schools namely, Akande Dahunsi Memorial Secondary School Ikoyi, Edward Blyden Primary School Okesuna and Rabiatu Thompson Primary School Surulere in Lagos State. The Annual Merit Awards, the Telco’s scholarship scheme for university students, have rewarded over 1000 students across the country for outstanding performance in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Management Services since 2009.
Etisalat organises career counselling sessions for secondary school students in partnership with Lagos Empowerment Resource Network (LEARN) and this scheme is executed under the auspices of Etisalat’s Employee Volunteer Programme.
In the Health and Environment platforms, the innovative telecommunication company launched “Fight Malaria Initiative” which involves the distribution of mosquito nets and dissemination of educative information on prevention and control of malaria. It is on record that Etisalat remains the only GSM service provider that introduced Eco-friendly SIM packs in this clime reducing the size of the classic SIM card from 16g of carbon (CO2) emissions per card to 8g thereby reducing its carbon footprint by half and promoting a sustainable environment.
These SIM cards reduce plastic waste thereby contributing positively to the protection of the environment. Two years down the road, the engineering programme is leading a positive revolution in building technical know-how and local available content in the field of Telecommunications Engineering which is a critical element needed for the continued success of the telecoms industry.
It is hoped that this initiative by Etisalat Nigeria for training and development will in the long run lead to greater good for the telecoms industry and the Nigerian people.
