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Etisalat Charts Career Path for Secondary School Students
Etisalat, in continuation of its commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the society, Nigeria’s most innovative telecommunications company, organized a Career Counseling session for secondary schools students.
The schools include Ilado Community Secondary School, Wahab Folawiyo High School, Government Senior College, Ikoyi; Government Senior College, Maroko and Akande Dahunsi Senior High School, Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.
The career counseling scheme is being executed under the auspices of Etisalat Nigeria’s Employee Volunteer Program. The beneficiary school, Akande Dahunsi High School, is one of the schools the telecoms company adopted under the Adopt-A-School Initiative of the Lagos State Government.
At the counselling session, students were exposed to detailed information required to guide their decision and career paths in Law, Marketing and Information Technology by experienced Etisalat employees.
The presentations provided working definitions of the various professions and explained what the professionals who do them really do. It also detailed requirements needed to meet in order to be able to undertake the professions as course of study in higher institutions of learning. Students also learnt of the world of opportunities that studying these courses opened up to them and how they could specialise in different areas of whichever of these professions they chose to study. The presentations also touched on the various challenges associated with the professions and explained the roles of professional bodies of the professions, among other discussions.
Speaking at the occasion, Steven Evans, Etisalat CEO, said the scheme provides Etisalat’s employees the opportunity to give back to the society through impacting of their knowledge and skills.
According to him, “Through the volunteering program, Etisalat employees have an opportunity to fulfil their personal as well as the company’s corporate desire of impacting society positively. They are encouraged to volunteer their time and employ their skills in providing career counseling as well as mentorship to students of secondary schools. There is no doubt that the students certainly need appropriate guidance towards making the right and fulfilling career choices as a wrong career move may have long-term negative effects.”
The CEO noted that the career counseling program is not a one-off affair but one that is designed to run continuously. He also noted that Etisalat is implementing the scheme in partnership with the Lagos Empowerment and Resource Network (LEARN), an NGO founded by the wife of the Lagos State Governor, Mrs. Abimbola Fashola.
“Being part of the Adopt-A-School Initiative, the Career Counseling scheme is continuous and it is designed to be implemented three times yearly in Etisalat’s adopted schools,” Evans reiterated.
The Adopt-A-School initiative is an ongoing CSR project of Etisalat Nigeria, in partnership with the Lagos State Government, committed to continually providing support in areas including but not limited to infrastructure, leadership/management and direct support for students and teacher development in adopted schools.
Bisi Awoyemi, head, Support Our School desk officer, Office of the deputy governor who represented Mrs. Abimbola Fashola, the Lagos State First Lady in her remarks, said Etisalat in partnership with LEARN is grooming students to be socially responsible individuals by equipping them with right information to make an informed decision.
She lauded Etisalat support and charged other organizations to emulate this CSR initiative.
Otunba Ayobade Obajimi, tutor general/permanent secretary, Education District 3 applauded Etisalat and LEARN for providing an avenue for guidance and counselling to enlighten students on available career paths.
Etisalat has so far adopted three schools namely; Akande Dahunsi Memorial Secondary School in Ikoyi, Edward Blyden Primary School in Okesuna, Lagos Island and Rabiatu Thompson Primary School in Surulere. Edward Blyden and Rabiatu Thompson Primary Schools are currently being rebuilt after old structures in the school were declared unsafe for the students and were thus demolished.
Etisalat recently commissioned a CSR centre at the prestigious Lagos Business School of the Pan Africa University as a platform designed to shape CSR opinions and understanding of present and future business leaders as well as key policy and decision makers. It is estimated that the CSR Centre would be of benefit to business students as well as over 30 corporations across different sectors of the economy in its first year of operation.
The telecommunication company has also instituted a Merit Award that awards scholarships to university students with the highest CGPA in Electrical Electronics Engineering, Computer Science and Management Sciences. About 150 students have so far benefited across the country.
The Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIBN) and the Association of Corporate Communication and Marketing Professionals in Banks (ACAMB) have enjoined banks to further deepen and prioritize financial inclusion, women’s empowerment and sustained growth through strategic mandates and frameworks, aimed at closing the financial gap and empowering more small, and medium enterprise (MSME) owners.
Both organisations made this call during a courtesy visit to the newly invested 24th President and Chairman of Council of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Dr. Dele Alabi, Ph.D, FCIB, as part of plans to congratulate him on his investiture as well as seek a stronger alliance between both bodies.
The visit followed Alabi’s investiture where he unveiled his “IMPACT” Vision, themed “Consolidating Our Local Impact, Enhancing Our Global Relevance.”
The vision rests on six pillars: Inclusion across geographic, gender, and generational lines; Membership growth and quality; Professionalism and ethics; Accountability; Competencies and skills development; Technology, automation, and innovation. Other areas of shared interest, include women empowerment, financial inclusion and literacy, as well as MSME clinics, all of which are top on his agenda.
Alabi explained that under him, the institute will be prioritising financial inclusion and women empowerment, because of its realisation that women are often the primary financial managers and caregivers in families. Access to savings, micro-credit, and insurance acts as a safety net during crisis and allows them to significantly improve living conditions.
He added that CIBN would be happy to drive joint knowledge sharing and exchange sessions with CBN and ACAMB across various platforms. “Educating the public through public awareness programmes, with ACAMB as the rallying point, is central to what we do,” he noted.
ACAMB President, Jide Sipe, who led the delegation, spoke in unison with the CIBN president, as he noted that, closing the inbalances in financial access help economies grow faster, reduces inequality, and encourages greater civic participation by all.
Lagos State has become the first sub-national government in Nigeria to establish a comprehensive Greenhouse Gas Registry, a move aimed at strengthening climate governance, improving emissions accountability and accelerating the state’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
The Lagos State Greenhouse Gas Registry (LGHGR) was unveiled at the Central Business District, Alausa, Ikeja, at a ceremony attended by Prof. Akin Abayomi, commissioner for Health, members of the State Executive Council, representatives of the Federal Ministry of Environment, development partners, TPHG Technologies, the diplomatic and business communities, academics, civil society organisations and the media.
Describing the initiative as a landmark achievement in the state’s environmental sustainability drive, Dr. Babatunde Ajayi, general manager of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), said the Registry marks a defining moment in Lagos’ climate action journey and reflects Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to building a resilient, climate-smart and environmentally sustainable economy.
According to Ajayi, the digital platform will enable the state to accurately measure, monitor, report and verify greenhouse gas emissions across key sectors, providing credible data to guide environmental policies and climate interventions.
He said the Registry would strengthen evidence-based decision-making, improve transparency and accountability, support national and international climate reporting obligations, unlock carbon market opportunities and boost investor confidence in Lagos’ environmental initiatives.
Ajayi also commended TPHG Technologies for providing the technical expertise that made the pioneering project possible.
Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Abayomi described the Registry as a major milestone that positions Lagos at the forefront of climate governance and emissions accountability in both Nigeria and Africa.
He noted that climate change has evolved into a significant public health and governance challenge, stressing that access to reliable emissions data would enable the state to formulate evidence-based policies, attract climate financing, strengthen resilience and accelerate its transition to a low-carbon economy.
Providing insights into the technical framework of the project, Dr. Mofoluso Fagbeja, lead consultant and chief executive officer, TPHG Technologies, explained that the Registry was developed from the greenhouse gas inventory jointly undertaken by LASEPA and TPHG Technologies in 2022, using 2019 as the baseline year for emissions assessment.
He said the platform is designed to close critical emissions data gaps, particularly within the industrial sector, while supporting effective climate policy implementation, emissions management and sustainable development.
Fagbeja also disclosed that the greenhouse gas inventory estimated that poor air quality contributes to about 35,000 premature deaths annually in Lagos, underscoring the urgent need for stronger emissions control measures and cleaner environmental practices.
In a goodwill message, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, minister of Environment, represented by Mrs. Adenaike Olunimpe Oludunni, federal controller of Environment in Lagos, commended Lagos State for pioneering the initiative, describing it as a significant contribution to Nigeria’s climate commitments.
He said the Registry aligns with the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement and supports the Federal Government’s Energy Transition Plan, while reaffirming the ministry’s commitment to deeper collaboration with Lagos State on climate governance and environmental sustainability.
A recently released Henley Passport Index 2026, showed that Nigerian citizens can travel to at least 20 destinations outside the African continent where entry is allowed either visa-free, with a visa on arrival (VOA) at no extra cost, or via an e-visa.
This expanded access opens doors for Nigerian travellers to experience countries in the Caribbean, Asia, and beyond with greater ease.
Below is a comprehensive guide to countries outside Africa which Nigerian passport holders can visit without a traditional visa.
Visa-Free Countries outside Africa for Nigerian Passport Holders:
Barbados
Cambodia – Visa on arrival
Comoros Islands – Visa on arrival
Cook Islands
Dominica
Fiji
Haiti
Iran – Visa on arrival
Kiribati
Lebanon
Maldives – Visa on arrival
Micronesia
Montserrat
Niue – Visa on arrival
Palau Islands – Visa on arrival
Samoa – Visa on arrival
St. Kitts and Nevis
Timor-Leste – Visa on arrival
Tuvalu
Vanuatuul
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