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Alcatel-Lucent Bags Best Use of CSR in HR Award
Alcatel-Lucent in Nigeria has been selected by CareerNation for its Africa Human Resources Excellence Awards, to receive the prize and recognition for “The Best Use of Corporate Social Responsibility in HR” Award category for the year 2013.
This award is given to the organization which achieves outstanding results in CSR and HR.
On Saturday, 28 September, Alcatel-Lucent received the award in Accra, Ghana, during the 5th annual CareerNation@ Africa Human Resource Conference & Excellence Awards.
Victor T. Madubuko, PHR managing partner at CareerNation: “CareerNation selected Alcatel-Lucent as it has undertaken the risks of innovation, served as a pioneer in the field, and has contributed to human resources development in Africa. The company and its employees succeeded in overcoming challenges and clearly came out as a key strategic partner not only grasping the company’s vision and mission, but also contributing to them.”
This is an award given for the company’s achievements in terms of employee engagement, innovative programs in education and technological fields and for a strong contribution in the community, to help bridge the digital divide.
Hatim Zougari, country manager of Alcatel-Lucent Nigeria said: “This is the first time we have entered this Award, this success is a result of joint effort between our employees and management, our Foundation and community partners, thanks to everyone for helping make our company’s CSR vision a reality.” He then added: “These programs will help provide these youth with a head-start towards an independent life with the professional skills necessary to succeed in a globalized world.”
Adebimpe Ayo Elias, HR director of Alcatel-Lucent in Nigeria: “It is a true and strong testament of Alcatel-Lucent Nigeria’s commitment to employee engagement. Our company’s engagement is measured by our employees’ commitment, their contribution, their enthusiasm, dedication and willingness to go above and beyond for their organization and their community.”
Issa Eid, HR leader for Middle East, Turkey and Africa said: “A great win by an amazing team in Nigeria. An effort well recognized by the engaged and committed talent we have in the country, going above and beyond their call of duty to support their communities. The Alcatel-Lucent Foundation made this win possible, to provide an arena of contribution and support, to prepare the next generation of talent in the country. We will continue to focus on social activities in Nigeria and the region, with the support of management and our energetic employee base!”
Bishalakhi Ghosh, Director of Alcatel-Lucent Foundation said: “One of the focus areas of the Alcatel-Lucent Foundation is on programs that help youth from disadvantaged communities have access to training helping them prepare for life, the business world and the future. The success of these programs is mainly the result of team work and our employee’s contribution and commitment. It is a true example of a corporate CSR vision by helping youth to become leaders in tomorrow’s world.”
Alcatel-Lucent in Nigeria has been selected mainly for its active participation into two major programmes: sponsorship of Entrepreneurial Training and Mentorship Programme with selected beneficiaries in Partnership with SOS Children Villages – with the support of the Alcatel-Lucent Foundation, who granted funds to support this CSR initiative in Nigeria.
Purpose of this program is to support 20 young adults in learning entrepreneurial, leadership and life skills that will help them face day-to-day challenges and give them a jump start into the world of work.
During the program, the group will develop the attitude, behaviour, confidence and skills needed to take responsibility for building their own futures and to become successful and contributing members of society.
Today Alcatel-Lucent has 24 active volunteers mentoring and following up agreed action plans and the progress of these beneficiaries.
The second is the G-NeX-Capability Development Programme with University of Lagos – Alcatel-Lucent’s employees volunteered and participated into this program for a period of 12 weeks of professional training and skills.
Nigerians are among the brightest and most innovative people on the planet! Yet there is a noticeable skill gap observed in young graduates especially on the knowledge and experience that today’s private sector demands.
Re-directing the resourcefulness within the universities through professional training is the key to unlocking the potentials and growing a firm human resource base for Nigeria’s technological development and indeed Africa.
Alcatel-Lucent in Nigeria, as an organization at the forefront of technological innovation, has the capability to bridge this gap and create an adequately skilled pipeline for the technological industry.
Some of the key areas for the partnership include: training, Career talks, Guidance and Mentoring; Professional trainings and certification; Internship programs for Star performers; Creativity development; access to platforms & learning resources; and Collaboration with institutions to improve study curriculum.
On 3rd May, 2013, the session formally kicked off, while the official grand opening was held on 11th of May 2013.
Over 200 Students registered and participated in the programme, inclusive of non-engineering students who have a passion for the technological world. The twelve (12) weeks curriculum ended on 13th July 2013 and was completed with commiserate practical session’s impact to knowledge transfer! The 12 weeks program is only the first phase of the G-NeX program as several phases are planned.
It was truly a period of exposition and all round fun as our employees and management not only built intellectual capacities but also an enduring relationship. This programme was driven by Alcatel-Lucent Nigeria employees (Volunteers) in conjunction with Alcatel-Lucent’s University. Both contributors are passionate about knowledge transfer and capability development for the younger generation.
The Alcatel-Lucent G-NeX program is intending to reduce the gap in the technological know-how, between the theory in the universities and the real life in the field, as requested by the industries. Today Alcatel-Lucent in Nigeria is working on a roll out plan across Nigerian Universities that will help build the future generation. Discussions are ongoing with the University of Port Harcourt, which will be the next step.
Alcatel-Lucent focuses on helping communities where its employees live and operate. Its prime mission is to respond to today’s global challenge of digital inclusion and sustainability, focusing on providing innovative programs for underserved communities across the world that enable youth, to access educational and life skills programs. We believe we can make a difference by helping youth contribute as citizens and community leaders in tomorrow’s global digital world.
National Population Commission (NPC) has commenced the nationwide digital registration of births and deaths under the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (E-CRVS) system to strengthen legal identity management and improve demographic data.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lokoja on Tuesday, Mr Afolabi Yori, federal commissioner representing Kogi, said the initiative became operational nationwide on July 1, through the VitalReg platform.
Yori described the development as a landmark in Nigeria’s civil registration system, noting that it would modernise birth and death registration through a technology-driven platform that meets international standards.
He said the digital platform would improve service delivery, strengthen data integrity and ensure that every birth and death occurring in Nigeria was accurately documented and securely stored.
According to him, civil registration is more than an administrative process, as it provides reliable statistics that support public policy formulation, resource allocation and national development planning.
“Nigeria records an estimated five million births annually, yet millions of births and deaths remain unregistered.
“Birth registration coverage currently stands at about 57 per cent nationwide, while death registration remains below 20 per cent,” he said.
The commissioner said that the commission had established 4,011 functional registration centres across the country’s 774 local government areas and was working to expand the number to about 8,000.
He added that the commission was strengthening collaboration with stakeholders to improve the capacity of registration personnel and ensure prompt documentation of vital events through the VitalReg platform.
Yori said the platform would provide faster registration services, 24-hour online access, digital certificate issuance where applicable, and reduce paperwork, waiting time and unnecessary travel.
He disclosed that the platform was being operated under a Public-Private Partnership with Barnks-forte Technologies Ltd. as the commission’s technical partner to ensure system availability, cybersecurity and continuous technological improvement.
He called on parents, healthcare institutions, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations, development partners and the media to support the initiative by encouraging the prompt registration of births and deaths.
Earlier, Samuel Omonakpeme, director in Kogi, NPC State, described the commencement of the digital registration system as another milestone in efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s Civil Registration and Vital Statistics system.
Omonakpeme stated that the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s digital transformation agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 16.9, which seeks to provide legal identity for all.
He appreciated the Federal Government, the leadership of the commission, UNICEF and other development partners for supporting the implementation of the initiative.
The state director also urged parents, guardians, health institutions, community leaders, religious organisations and the media to mobilise public support for the timely registration of all births and deaths.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that ICT personnel of the commission, led by Ehimoni Kolawole, conducted a live demonstration of the digital birth registration process using the VitalReg platform.
The demonstration showed that the registration process captures the biodata of both parents, while at least one parent must possess a valid National Identification Number (NIN) to complete the registration of a newborn.
Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) has alerted its customers to a fraudulent message circulating on social media, falsely claiming that electricity consumers can receive an additional 20 per cent bonus units when recharging their prepaid meters through unofficial channels.
In a statement issued by the company’s management on Monday, YEDC described the claim as false and urged customers to disregard the misleading information, stressing that it did not originate from the company.
According to the statement, YEDC does not offer bonus electricity units through individuals, agents, personal bank accounts, phone numbers, or social media contacts.
The company advised customers to purchase electricity tokens only through approved cashless payment platforms, including the YEDC Pay App, OPay, Interswitch, and other authorised vending channels, or to visit the nearest YEDC office for assistance.
YEDC also cautioned customers against sharing their meter details or personal information, or making payments to unauthorised persons claiming to represent the company.
The company further urged customers to rely exclusively on information disseminated through its official communication channels to avoid falling victim to fraud.
The management thanked customers for their continued cooperation and reaffirmed its commitment to serving them.
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has disclosed that two foreign currency accounts opened in connection with the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) have remained inactive since their creation, with no funds deposited and no transactions recorded.
The revelation emerged on Monday during the ongoing investigation by the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee probing the circumstances surrounding the establishment and operations of the council.
Lawmakers are investigating allegations that the PFIPC was created and operated without a valid legal framework and outside the established procedures required for government agencies and institutions.
Appearing before the committee, representatives of both the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) distanced their institutions from the establishment of the council.
The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation stated that it neither created the council nor possessed the constitutional authority to establish federal agencies.
Representing the office, officials explained that the OHCSF is only responsible for approving administrative structures of government agencies after all necessary requirements have been fulfilled.
According to the office, records showed that the council submitted a request on August 6, 2025, seeking approval for its organisational structure.
However, the application was not approved because the required supporting documents were not attached.
The committee heard that despite the rejection of the request, officials linked to the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC)/PFIPC later appeared during the 2025 manpower budget defence exercise and sought approval for staffing and recruitment arrangements.
The office disclosed that the council informed government officials that its activities were being carried out largely through personnel seconded or deployed from other institutions.
Lawmakers were told that the council requested approval for a total of 314 positions. The figure consisted of 14 existing officers and an additional 300 proposed positions.
The Office of the Head of the Civil Service further revealed that concerns later arose regarding documents presented by the council as evidence of its legal backing.
Officials told the committee that upon examination, the documents failed to display essential features expected of an enabling law or valid legal instrument establishing a government body.
Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, head of the Civil Service of the Federation, also rejected claims that her office deployed civil servants to work for the council.
She maintained that the office did not assign personnel to the body and did not provide office accommodation for its operations.
According to her, matters relating to the creation, supervision and oversight of government agencies fall under the responsibilities of other relevant institutions, including the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
The Central Bank of Nigeria also provided details regarding accounts linked to the council.Nigerian current events
Hamisu Abdullahi, director at the apex bank, who represented the CBN Governor before the committee, explained that the bank opened two foreign currency accounts following a formal request from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
He told lawmakers that the request was received on July 30, 2025, and instructed the bank to create a United States dollar domiciliary account and a Pound Sterling domiciliary account.
Abdullahi stressed that the CBN only opens accounts for government agencies after receiving official authorisation from the Accountant-General’s office.
However, he disclosed that the accounts never became operational because the council failed to provide authorised signatories required for activation.
As a result, both accounts remained dormant from the day they were opened.
He informed the committee that neither account had received deposits nor processed withdrawals. The accounts also recorded no foreign exchange allocations, remittances, inflows or outflows.Governor election news
According to him, the balances in both accounts remain at zero.
The CBN official further stated that the council did not engage directly with the apex bank regarding the management or operation of the accounts after they were created.
Following the submissions, members of the committee demanded more information as part of efforts to determine the full scope of the council’s activities.
Hon. Abdulmalik Danga, chairman of the committee, directed the Central Bank to submit comprehensive records relating to both the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council and the Presidential Economic Advisory Council.
The committee requested details covering the opening of the accounts, their operational history and any information connected to related banking activities.
Lawmakers also instructed the CBN to work with commercial banks to identify and provide records of any accounts linked to the entities under investigation.
However, the committee is expected to continue its hearings as more government agencies and officials appear before lawmakers to provide explanations on the controversial council and the circumstances surrounding its operations.
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