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Airtel Partners Unilever, Association to Boost Oral Hygiene among Students
Airtel Nigeria, leading telecoms operator, has collaborated with manufacturer of home and personal care goods, Unilever, alongside the Nigerian Dental Association (NDA) to promote oral hygiene among students in Nigeria.
Through the CSR health awareness programme, which kicked off Thursday, November 5 at Oremeji Primary School II, Ajegunle, Lagos the telco and its partners are educating primary school students across Nigeria on how to stay healthy through oral hygiene.
Students and teachers of Oremeji Primary School II, one of Airtel’s adopted schools in Nigeria, gladly received the awareness campaign team comprising Airtel’s staff and representative from the Nigerian Dental Association (NDA).
Speaking on the initiative Mr. Adedokun Oye, regional operations director, Lagos Region, Airtel, noted that the telco has taken a step further to care for Nigerian children by ensuring their health and well-being through proper oral hygiene in order to bring out the best in them.
“Airtel and Unilever are providing kids in schools with gift items like tooth brushes, toothpastes and leaflets that offer tips on oral hygiene. When children stay healthy, it will be easier for them to learn,” he said.
David Okeme, brand building Director, Unilever Nigeria, noted that Unilever’s global oral care social missions is to improve the oral health of 100 million people by 2020 by convincing them to brush day and night to stay healthy and happy, and live a more enjoyable and fulfilled life.
“In partnership with the Nigerian Dental Association, Universal Basic Education Board and the Federal Ministry of Health, Pepsodent is committed to improving the oral health of 10 million children in Nigeria by 2020 through the Brush Day & Night schools’ programme, and one million school children will be reached directly in 2015. We believe kids can change the world by adopting healthy oral habits and they can convince their parents to do same,” he added.
Dr. Abu Dorcas from the Nigerian Dental Association (NDA) took the children through a brief session on how to maintain oral hygiene. She encouraged the children to always brush daily, morning and night, using fluoridated toothpaste. “It is important to stay away from sweet and sugary things in order to maintain oral hygiene. Eat more fruits and vegetables, drink sufficient water. More importantly, try and see a dentist every six months,” she said.
Mrs. Animashaun Risikat, head Teacher, Oremeji Pry. School II, commended Airtel and Unilever Nigeria for giving priority to the health of students and teachers through the programme.
She said: “This initiative will go a long way to boost the hygiene of both teachers and the students. As we know, health is wealth. If the kids are healthy, they will be happy to learn.”
The students hailed Airtel and Unilever for providing them with toothpaste, toothbrushes and oral health tips. Rachael Elia in primary six said, “I will be brushing in the right way as we were taught by the dentist. It is the proper way to brush. We thank Airtel and Unilever for this.” On his part, Habeeb Isiaka of primary 5 said, “From now, I will try to brush morning and night so that my teeth can be strong and healthy.”
Under the programme, all the students in schools adopted by Airtel Nigeria will be reached with the health awareness campaign. St. John’s Primary School, Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun; Community Primary School, Amumara, Imo; Presbyterian Primary School, Ediba, Cross River and Iyeru-Okin Primary School, Kwara are next in line to benefit from the programme.
Patience Okala, the National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office has urged African countries to stop exporting raw materials and instead focus on adding value to its natural resources if it is to fully harness the opportunities offered by the African Continental Free Trade Area.
She stated this on Thursday at the Streamsowers & Köhn 20th Anniversary Business Forum, where she stressed that value addition and beneficiation are essential to Africa’s industrialisation and long-term economic growth.
According to a statement issued on Friday by the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office, she said the AfCFTA goes beyond the elimination of tariffs, serving as a framework for industrialisation, value addition, and job creation across the continent.
“AfCFTA is not only about tariffs; it is also about value addition. Africa has to stop exporting raw materials. We need to add value and ensure that beneficiation is done on the continent,” she said.
Okala also said Africa’s economic transformation would depend on the effective implementation of the AfCFTA rather than on the signing of trade agreements alone.
“We have moved beyond negotiations. The success of AfCFTA will be measured by the extent to which businesses can access new markets, trade seamlessly across borders, and benefit from the opportunities created by the agreement,” she said.
She noted that Nigeria had intensified efforts to implement the agreement under the leadership of the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, including the development of simplified AfCFTA guides in six languages to help businesses understand and take advantage of opportunities under the trade pact.
Okala called for stronger collaboration among governments, regulators, and the private sector to eliminate barriers to trade and investment and build a truly integrated African market.
“As we move from policy to implementation, our collective responsibility is to ensure that the opportunities created by AfCFTA become practical realities for businesses, particularly MSMEs, women-owned enterprises, and young entrepreneurs across the continent,” she said.
Cisco is exploring artificial intelligence (AI)-powered solutions to support smallholder farmers in Nigeria, as part of efforts to expand digital inclusion and technology adoption.
The initiative focuses on improving agricultural productivity through accessible, data-driven tools.
The move aligns with growing collaboration between Nigeria and the United States under the Commercial and Investment Partnership, which prioritises the digital economy, agriculture and infrastructure.
Speaking at the 2026 World Business Chicago, Brian Tippens, chief social impact and inclusion Officer at Cisco, said the company is assessing practical AI applications to help farmers combine local knowledge with data insights.
He said Cisco is exploring tools such as AI-enabled WhatsApp communities, geospatial mapping and weather intelligence to support day-to-day farming decisions.
The approach reflects a shift towards low-cost, mobile-first solutions suited to rural environments.
Tippens added that the Cisco Foundation is investing in early-stage startups developing technologies for local agricultural challenges.
Industry analysts note that AI adoption in emerging markets depends on locally relevant solutions, rather than large-scale enterprise deployments alone.
Beyond agriculture, Cisco plans to expand digital skills development in Nigeria through programmes such as the Cisco Networking Academy’s One Million Learners initiative.
Tippens said the programme also supports partnerships with organisations working with persons with disabilities, including those developing tools for people with visual impairments.
He added that Cisco’s social impact strategy aims to improve access to technology and promote inclusion, including in conflict-affected regions such as Borno State.
Cisco’s initiatives form part of broader efforts to link digital skills, connectivity and AI adoption to economic development in Nigeria.
Federal Government has launched a nationwide Artificial Intelligence (AI) capacity-building programme for teachers in Federal Unity Colleges, with about 11,700 educators set to acquire digital skills aimed at improving classroom instruction and preparing students for a technology-driven future.
The initiative advanced with the signing of the Terms of Reference (ToR) between the Federal Ministry of Education and ICEDT Consult Limited, paving the way for the nationwide implementation of the AI Teacher Capacity Development Programme.
The programme, to be implemented through the ministry’s Education Support Services Department, is part of the Federal Government’s efforts to modernise Nigeria’s education sector, strengthen teacher professionalism and equip students with skills required in the digital economy under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Speaking during the signing ceremony in Abuja, the Director of the Education Support Services Department, Gabriel Amudipe, described the initiative as a strategic investment in Nigeria’s teaching workforce and the future of education.
He said the nationwide rollout followed the successful completion of a pilot phase conducted in selected Federal Unity Colleges.
According to him, the implementation model developed by ICEDT Consult Limited will ensure effective coordination and quality delivery of the programme across the country’s six geopolitical zones.
Amudipe urged officials responsible for monitoring the project to ensure strict compliance with the implementation guidelines and maintain the standards achieved during the pilot phase.
“The ministry remains committed to supporting innovative initiatives that strengthen teacher professionalism, improve learning outcomes and promote the responsible integration of emerging technologies into education,” he said.
Earlier, the Deputy Director of the Education Support Services Department, Oladele Fapohunda, described the programme as a strategic intervention designed to deepen digital innovation across Federal Unity Colleges.
He stressed that collaboration among all stakeholders would be essential to achieving the objectives of the initiative nationwide.
Also speaking, the Head of Strategic Partnerships and Learning Scientist at ICEDT Consult Limited, Dr Abdulrahman Orosanya, said the Federal Government approved the national rollout after the successful pilot implementation in six Federal Unity Colleges representing Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
According to Orosanya, the pilot demonstrated the potential of Artificial Intelligence to improve lesson planning, classroom delivery, assessment methods and teachers’ productivity.
He said the nationwide implementation would strengthen teachers’ digital competencies, improve instructional delivery and support the government’s vision of building a technology-driven education system capable of producing globally competitive graduates equipped with 21st-century skills.
The ceremony ended with the formal signing of the Terms of Reference by officials of the Federal Ministry of Education and ICEDT Consult Limited, signalling the commencement of preparations for full implementation across all Federal Unity Colleges.
The ministry said the programme would directly train about 11,700 teachers, while thousands of students across the country’s Federal Unity Colleges are expected to benefit through improved classroom instruction, increased digital innovation and the responsible application of Artificial Intelligence in teaching and learning.
It reaffirmed its commitment to working with relevant stakeholders to modernise Nigeria’s education system, improve teacher quality and deliver inclusive, equitable and future-ready education nationwide.
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