Telecom
Encomiums, Joy as Airtel Adopts School in Kwara State
It was a day of songs, dance and encomiums when leading telecoms operator, Airtel Nigeria, commissioned its newly adopted, last week, in Offa, Kwara State.
Pupils, teachers and stakeholders in the education sector of Kwara State radiated with joy as Airtel unveiled the renovated blocks of classrooms and also donated toilet facilities, borehole for potable water, 400 school bags, 1, 400 note books, 400 uniforms, packs of pen among other items.
Pupils of Iyeru-Okin Primary School 1, Offa, Kwara State, Airtel’s newly adopted school, were in high spirit as they danced and sang in joy in appreciation of their newly renovated school.
The teachers also joined in the celebration as they showered encomiums on Airtel.
Under its Adopt-a-School CSR programme, Airtel Nigeria has now adopted the school to add to the list of schools it supports across the country.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony,Mr. Segun Ogunsanya, managing director and chief executive officer, Airtel Nigeria, said the Telcorecognised the interest of the state governmentin uplifting the standard of education in Kwara State and is therefore pleased to partner with the government and people.
According to Ogunsanya who was represented by the Company’s Chief Sales Officer, Godfrey Efeurhobo, Education is the bedrock of development of a nation and the best place to start is at the formative stage of children, noting that the Nigerian government has taken various initiatives in this direction but has often not reached the poorest section of the society.
He added that Airtel is committed to enriching the lives of key stakeholders in the communities it operates in, noting that the telco will continue to create opportunities to uplift underprivileged kids through its various CSR programmes.
“In recognition of the role education plays in the development of a country, Airtel Nigeria has decided, as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility vision, to adopt the primary school in Iyeru-Okin. Under our Adopt-a-School programme, we adopt government-owned schools located in poor, rural/semi urban communities and either rehabilitate or rebuild them, as the case may be, just as we have done here,” Ogunsanya explained.
The newly adopted Iyeru-Okin Primary School will join the four other Airtel adopted primary schools spread across Nigeria, namely Oremeji Primary School II, Ajegunle, Lagos; St. John’s Primary School, Oke-Agbo, Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun; Community Primary School, Amumara, Imo and Presbyterian Primary School, Ediba, Cross River State.
While commending Airtel’s Adopt-a-School programme, Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Kwara, Mr. LamidAlabi, noted that Airtel’s CSR initiative connects with the state educational infrastructure development programme.
Gov. Ahmed said: “I understand that Airtel has upgraded 3 blocks of classrooms and equipped them with whiteboards, chairs and tables.
Furthermore, the company is providing uniforms, school bags for 400 hundred pupils including other support infrastructure and materials.
Clearly, what Airtel has done at this school deserves our commendation and applause.
The project represents a contribution to our educational development through corporate social responsibility intervention.”
He therefore praised the board, management and staff of Airtel for initiating and completing the project.
Other stakeholders in the state including the Olofa of Offa, His Royal Majesty, Oba MufutauGbadamosi; Permanent Secretary, Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr. Musa Dasuki and the Education Secretary, Kwara State Local Government Education Authority, Mrs OlanipekunTunrayo also lauded the telecoms giant for touching the lives of pupils and teachers in Iyeru-Okin Primary School 1.
Head Teacher of the School, Mrs.Bambe Beatrice while praising Airtel for transforming the school noted that the plight of pupils and teachers in the school has been addressed by Airtel.
She recalled: “In the former structure learning was not pleasant due to many factors. Pupils used to go out of the premises to fetch water, classrooms were not conducive for learning, and there was inadequate furniture in the classes.
“But with Airtel’s intervention programme, everything has improved. We have good furniture in the classes, drinkable water and educational materials. Many parents now prefer to bring their children to this school. We can say that Airtel is God-led in this regard.”
Iyeru-Okin Primary School 1 is now the fifth primary school in Nigeria to be adopted by Airtel Nigeria. The four other schools adopted by the company are in Lagos, Ogun, Imo, Cross River.
Over the years, Airtel has brought notable transformation to these schools by providing ultra-modern blocks of classrooms, borehole for portable water, classroom furniture and also donating items such as uniforms, bags and educational materials like books, textbooks and pens on a yearly basis.
Last year, hundreds of pupils and teachers benefited from the Airtel free eye screening exercises conducted in the adopted schools.
In addition to these, several teachers in the schools have been trained by Airtel in collaboration with State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) of the various states.
News
NITDA Communications Director Hadiza Umar Named in 2026 PR Power List, Graces Glazia Magazine Cover
Mrs. Hadiza Umar, Director of the Corporate Communications and Media Relations Department at the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has been officially recognised as one of Nigeria’s top public relations professionals in the prestigious 2026 PR Power List.
The definitive annual list, compiled by GLG Communications in partnership with The Guardian, was unveiled to commemorate World PR Day.
It celebrates 50 outstanding professionals within Nigeria and the diaspora whose strategic communication strategies have significantly shaped organisations, influenced public discourse, and advanced the profession over the past 12 months.
Adding to the momentous milestone, Mrs. Umar was hit with a major surprise at the exclusive PR Power List Soirée and Awards ceremony held at the Alliance Française in Ikoyi, Lagos, where she was unveiled as a front-cover personality for the Glazia Magazine PR Power List Special Issue.
The double recognition highlights her exceptional distinction and impact in public sector communications and narrative management.
Speaking on the dual achievement, Mrs. Umar expressed profound gratitude for the honours, describing the magazine cover appearance as a breathtaking surprise.
“I am deeply humbled and honored to be recognized on the 2026 PR Power List and to feature on the cover of Glazia Magazine alongside other exceptional industry titans,” Umar said.
“This milestone is a testament to the enabling environment and visionary leadership of the Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, which has allowed us to strategically drive the narrative of Nigeria’s digital economy and technological innovation.”
Mrs. Umar, a highly respected corporate communications strategist, holds professional fellowships in the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (Chartered), the African Public Relations Association (APRA), and the Institute of Corporate Administration (CICA).
Under her supervisory role, NITDA’s media relations have consistently projected national information technology frameworks, start-up support frameworks, and digital literacy initiatives, to position Nigeria competitively on the global stage.
The 2026 PR Power List selection process involved a rigorous, independent evaluation led by a distinguished international jury.
The organisers noted that the class of 2026 represents professionals raising the standard of strategic communications and introducing new ideas to the industry.
The need for Nigeria to think outside the box in its need to drive towards global relevance with innovations and scientific developments will be on the front burner at the NITRA Innovative & Scientific Conference scheduled to hold on Thursday July 23, 2026 in Ikeja, Lagos.
NITRA
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will lead other delegates to discuss and take far-reaching decisions at the event, which has its theme as “Bridging Nigeria’s Digital Divide With Scientific Innovation”.
Other companies that have indicated interest in partnering with NITRA include mobile communications company, Tecno; Africa’s premier end-to-end AI solutions company, Hyperspace; and telecommunications data infrastructure company, Digital Realty.
Speaking on the proposed event, the Chairman, Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA), Chike Onwuegbuchi noted that the event will seek to create a platform for government and private organisations to deliberate on policies around scientific innovations in Nigeria, challenges, place of indigenous and foreign collaboration, roles of each stakeholder, and grassroots development in that regard, among others.
According to him: “The Federal government, with series of programmes and partnerships, has established the urgent need to create an ecosystem that thrives on scientific innovation, breeding institutions and individuals with a target of placing the country at the fore-front of Next-Gen development.
It is a known fact that digital and scientific innovations are crucial, not only to the survivability of a nation, but also to the sustainability of its growth and development, with significant effect on economic strength, global image, defense and security, government capabilities to function, and public health and safety, communication and digital footprint, among others.
The federal government is actively driving scientific innovation to foster economic diversification and build a $1 trillion economy by 2030. Efforts are heavily focused on commercializing research, establishing massive research funds, and funding strategic infrastructure, particularly in technology, biotechnology, and healthcare. Core government initiatives and policies include the newly instituted National Research and Innovation Development Fund (NRIDF), which aims to mobilize about $500 million annually to support research and the commercialization of scientific outputs; and the Nigeria Genomic City, a multi-ministerial initiative aimed at transforming Nigeria into a leading hub for genomics, precision medicine, and biotechnology. It is designed to protect indigenous data, stimulate artificial intelligence in health, and develop a highly skilled scientific workforce.
According to the General Secretary of NITRA, Mr. Chidiebere Nwankwo, the forum will also be a vehicle to propagating the views of decision makers to the public, thereby furthering the cause of public awareness and information dissemination on the topic.
The focus, he said will be on how Nigeria can sustain digital innovative growth and scientific development in Nigeria
The board of global payments company, PayPal, says a 53 billion dollars takeover offer from financial technology firm, Stripe, and private equity company, Advent International, does not adequately reflect the company’s long-term value.
PayPal
According to reports, the proposed acquisition, valued at 60.50 dollars per share, remains under consideration, with the board yet to formally respond to the offer.
The directors are said to be evaluating not only the financial value of the proposal but also the structure of the financing, the timeline for completing the transaction and the likelihood of obtaining regulatory approvals.
They are also considering the possibility of competing bids emerging.
Although the offer represents a premium of about 28 per cent above PayPal’s recent share price, the board believes the company could deliver greater value to shareholders if its ongoing turnaround strategy succeeds.
Following reports of the bid, PayPal shares gained about two per cent to close at 56.73 dollars.
Sources familiar with the discussions said Stripe and Advent have secured approximately 50 billion dollars in debt financing from JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley, while both firms would jointly contribute 17 billion dollars in equity.
Under the proposal, the two companies would jointly own PayPal instead of dividing its operations.
PayPal, Stripe, Advent International, JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley have all declined to comment on the proposed transaction.
The discussions come as PayPal seeks to strengthen its business after years of increasing competition from rivals including Apple Pay, Google Pay and emerging financial technology firms.
The company, which was valued at about 360 billion dollars in 2021, now has a market capitalisation of approximately 36 billion dollars.
Since assuming office as Chief Executive Officer in March 2026, Enrique Lores has embarked on a restructuring programme aimed at improving operational efficiency and restoring growth.
The restructuring includes the creation of three business divisions comprising Checkout, Venmo and Consumer Financial Services, and Payments and Crypto.
The company is also targeting 1.5 billion dollars in cost savings through the deployment of artificial intelligence technologies.
PayPal’s latest financial results indicated signs of recovery, with first-quarter revenue rising seven per cent year-on-year to 8.35 billion dollars, while total payment volume increased by eight per cent to 464 billion dollars.
If approved, the transaction would combine two of the world’s largest digital payments companies.
The combined business would process an estimated 3.7 trillion dollars in annual payment volume, significantly strengthening its position in the global online payments market.
However, analysts expect the proposed acquisition to face intense regulatory scrutiny because of the companies’ combined market share in merchant payment services.
To address possible antitrust concerns, the bidders have reportedly considered options, including separating PayPal’s Braintree business or other assets if required by regulators.
Sources said Stripe and Advent remain interested in pursuing the acquisition despite the board’s reservations, although negotiations are expected to continue.
Market observers are also awaiting PayPal’s earnings report scheduled for July 28 for further indications of the company’s financial recovery and future growth prospects.
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