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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.
According to the ‘Anatomy of a Cyber World: Global Report by Kaspersky Security Services’, there has been a noticeable decline in the percentage of high-severity incidents over the past few years.
While 2021 recorded the highest proportion at 14.3%, 2025 experienced the lowest in six years at just 3.8%. This trend indicates that many attack attempts were quickly detected and effectively mitigated by Kaspersky MDR experts, preventing their severity from escalating beyond medium levels.
High-severity incidents are defined as attacks involving direct human involvement that result in a significant impact on the customer’s IT infrastructure. In 2025, the number of such incidents detected by Kaspersky MDR decreased by 19% compared to 2024, highlighting improvements in early detection capabilities and more effective remediation efforts among Kaspersky MDR clients.
A detailed analysis of the root causes of these incidents in 2025 reveals the following insights:
Human-driven attacks accounted for approximately 23% of high-severity incidents. Although this represents a slight decrease from 2024, they continue to be the primary cause of serious breaches.
Kaspersky detected such attacks in nearly 21% of customers, demonstrating that motivated adversaries persist in bypassing automated defences. Despite advancements in automated detection tools, these highly skilled attackers still find ways to evade security measures.
Confirmed cyber exercises like Red Teaming made up over 23% of incidents. When activity is verified as part of security testing, it’s often classified as infrastructure false positives, though customers frequently report them as incidents.
Social engineering ranked third, responsible for over 15% of high-severity attacks and affecting nearly 18% of organisations. These are classified as high-severity when successful and not automatically remediated, often leading to security awareness recommendations.
Security policy violations constituted just under 14% of all cases, involving legitimate accounts performing suspicious actions like data exfiltration. Malware incidents represented less than 12%, while artifacts from past attacks, or APT traces, were found in over 7% of cases. Vulnerability detection, though not core focus for Kaspersky MDR, was reported in fewer than 5% of incidents.
“The decline in high-severity incidents highlights the critical importance of adopting a proactive cybersecurity strategy. Human-led solutions such as Managed Detection and Response (MDR) and Incident Response remain essential in combating sophisticated, human-driven threats.
To further enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of in-house security teams, organisations should incorporate advanced, automated solutions like Extended Detection and Response (XDR), which provide improved visibility and enable faster responses.
Additionally, leveraging SOC consulting services can assist in building a robust Security Operations Center from the ground up or optimising an existing one for maximum performance.
An integrated approach to hybrid security operations empowers organisations to detect threats early, contain them swiftly, and ultimately prevent severe breaches from occurring,” comments Sergey Soldatov, Head of Security Operations at Kaspersky.
Google and UpSkill Universe, Sub-Saharan Africa’s leading AI and business skills training partner, have announced a major redesign of the Google Hustle Academy programme.
For the first time, the free training initiative is open to everyone, not just business owners. The new curriculum is focused on equipping individuals and entrepreneurs with practical AI skills.
Small businesses are the engine of Africa’s economy, creating over 80% of jobs on the continent. To help them grow, the Hustle Academy was launched in 2022, providing bootcamp-style training on business strategy, digital skills, AI, and leadership. The program has since trained over 18,000 SMEs, with many reporting increased revenue and job creation.
Now, as AI reshapes the job market, the program is evolving. The 2026 edition is built for anyone in Sub-Saharan Africa, including employees, students, and jobseekers, who wants to use AI to advance their career.
To meet the needs of a diverse audience, the new format includes short, 60-minute webinars and more immersive, high-impact bootcamps. These sessions are laser-focused on putting AI to work immediately in areas like digital commerce, marketing, and growth strategy.
Speaking about the academy, Gori Yahaya, Founder & CEO UpSkill Universe said “The 2026 Hustle Academy is designed to close the AI Skills gap with hands-on training that is short, focused, and immediately useful. AI is reshaping how businesses win and how careers are built, right across this continent.
“We’re excited to renew our partnership, now in its fifth year with Google, combining their global AI leadership with our deep regional AI expertise. The next wave of AI leaders will come from this continent. We are making sure they are ready.”
The Hustle Academy initiative has strengthened digital competitiveness across emerging African economies by enabling SMEs to move beyond AI awareness to practical implementation, positioning them for sustained growth in an increasingly AI-driven business environment.
“We believe that the future of Africa’s digital economy lies in the hands of individuals and entrepreneurs alike. Our new strategy focuses on scaling reach by training individuals in the latest AI-centered tools and techniques,” said a Google representative.
Lagos State has dragged 45 individuals and firms, including Bi-Courtney Aviation, DAAR Communications and Leaders & Company, to revenue court for tax debts running into billions of naira.
Lagos Govt
Bi-Courtney, operators of Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two, faces N38.7 million claim; DAAR, behind Africa Independent Television, owes N22.4 million; ThisDay publishers Leaders & Company allegedly skip N67.1 million.
GMT Energy Resources tops corporates at N145.8 million, followed by Sheriff Deputies at N132.1 million; others like Heyden Petroleum, AA Rescue, BRT operator Primero also listed.
Individuals owe N13.5 million to N35 million each.
Attorney-General Lawal Pedro said suits followed ignored notices, aiming to enforce laws and fund infrastructure.
More defendants: IENG Nigeria, James Fisher, V Care Diagnostics, Venture Garden, Saro Africa, Barry Callebaut, Native Media, First Consulting, Eyowo Payments.
Compliant taxpayers post-notice escaped prosecution; defaulters risk penalties, interest, jail.
Pedro urged prompt filings and payments.
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