Telecom
Airtel Donates Learning Materials, Borehole to Adopted School in Ogun
Airtel Nigeria, has further complemented the gesture by donating a borehole to St. John’s Primary School, Ijebu Igbo, Ogun state in line with its Corporate Social Responsibility, six months after donating a block of classrooms and furniture to the same school.
At the occasion, Airtel also donated other educational items including school uniforms, bags, text books and note books to the school, which is a beneficiary of its Adopt-A-School programme focused on uplifting the standard of Nigeria’s primary education system.
Segun Ogunsanya, managing director and chief executive officer, Airtel Nigeria, while handing over the borehole to the school, said that the provision of safe and clean water for the pupils and their teachers would protect them from water borne diseases.
The CEO who was represented by the company’s Regional Operations Director, Lagos, Bayo Osinowo, noted that Airtel is committed to providing world class telecommunications experience for customers and support for the socio-economic development of communities in which it operates.
“This is the reason why we are here today to officially hand over this borehole to the school authority. In Airtel, we are passionately committed to partnering with government to improve the society. That is why our CSR initiative is committed to the adoption of government owned primary schools nationwide,” he said.
He promised that Airtel will continue to look after the school and pupils saying, the telecoms operator has come to stay.
John Olusegun Odubela, State commissioner of Education, Barrister commended the telecoms operator for the donation, saying the initiative was a laudable gesture which will stamp an indelible impression on the school, pupils and the community. He noted that the partnership of Airtel with the Ogun State Universal Basic Education Board has contributed to the development of education sector in the state.
“The Ogun State Government cannot but continue to appreciate Airtel for this laudable Adopt-A-School CSR initiative. This shows the degree of love Airtel has for Ogun State. This complimentary effort of Airtel in the field of education will indeed go a long way to assist in the delivery of a qualitative education in this community,” he said.
He commended Airtel for bring public primary school, especially those in remote locations, at par with the best-run private schools in terms of infrastructure and academic performance, to the benefit of the under-served communities.
He, however, implored the pupils to justify the huge financial investment by making the best use of the opportunity afforded them through this unique gesture and by aspiring to greater academic excellence and good behaviour.
Mr Adewale Azeez Oladele, head teacher of the school, also expressed appreciation to Airtel for the elevated status the school. He said the telecom operator’s commitment to the school has really taken it to a dignified level.
“I really want to thank the management of Airtel for all they have been doing for the pupils and teachers. We now have improved classrooms, note books, text books, uniforms and clean water. All these have assisted the pupils to be willing to learn, and teachers as well have good office to work. We can’t but express our joy and appreciation to what Airtel has done.” He noted parents now feel inclined to enrol their children in the school.
The event was also attended by the Chairman, State Universal Education Board (SUBEB), Mr Mufutau Ajibopla; the Director of Education, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Education, Mr Adekunle Adegbesan, Airtel CSR Manager, Chinda Manjor, Airtel’s Zonal Business Manager, Akinloye Adebisi; Area Business Manager, Lagos North, Akinsola Omoniyi and Airtel Trade Marketing Manager, Lagos North, Lynda Muibi alongside scores of parents from the community.
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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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