Etisalat, Nigeria’s most innovative network has been commended for its role in the adoption of the ISO 26000 by the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) and ThistlePraxis Consulting Limited.
The commendation was given recently at the launch ceremony of the ISO 26000 Guidance Standard on Social Responsibility in Nigeria.
The event witnessed the gathering of representatives from different stakeholder groups including Government, Corporate Organizations and NGOs, converge at the Southern Sun Hotel, Ikoyi in Lagos for the historical event that is aimed at assisting organizations address their social responsibilities while respecting cultural, societal, environmental and legal differences as well as economic development conditions.
Ms. Ndidi Okpaluba, director, PMO and Operational Strategy, Etisalat Nigeria who stood in for Mr. Steven Evans, chief executive officer, said that some of the goals of ISO 26000 is to integrate and implement social responsibility throughout an organization and its sphere of influence, including its supply chain as well as to provide practical guidance to operationalize social responsibility, identify and engage with stakeholders, and enhance the credibility of reports and claims about social responsibility.
Speaking further, Okpaluba said that Etisalat is driving the practice of sustainability through its development of projects that add value to the environment they operate in.
“We run the Etisalat Corporate Social Responsibility Centre situated at the Lagos Business School which is designed to advance CSR knowledge and encourage best practices; and recently we commissioned the Etisalat Telecoms Engineering Program at the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. This is the first Masters in Telecoms Engineering in the whole of West Africa”, she said.
She concluded her speech by reiterating Etisalat’s commitment to promoting the practice of CSR in the country through strategic partnerships.
“We believe that with the partnership between Etisalat and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, we will provide a joint leadership to both public and private sectors on the way to behave in a socially responsible way”, she said.
Describing Etisalat as “Champions of CSR”, Mrs. Ini Onuk, chief executive officer, ThistlePraxis, said, “Etisalat is one of the brands we have closely monitored and we can attest that the CSR activities they have undertaken are really sustainable. It shows a clear thought out strategy which is what we advocate as a company”.
In addition, she said that for Etisalat to be part of the adoption process goes to show that they still intend to be in the forefront of sustainability in Nigeria.
Speaking also at the event, Dr. Joseph Odumodu, director-general, Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), during his address said the adoption process marked the hallmark of advocating the benchmarking of organizational behavior against a set of internationally negotiated and agreed criteria for social responsibility.
On Etisalat’s involvement as technical partners and lead sponsors, Dr. Odumodu said that it was a move worthy of emulation. He called on business organizations and various Government agencies to integrate their business strategies with the ISO 2600 Guidance Standard.
ISO 26000 is an international guidance document on social responsibility that was first released on 1 November 2010.
It provides organisations with an outline of the principles and core subjects that it should be managing in order to identify societal risks and associated impacts.
The core subjects covered by the guidance includes but is not limited to areas such as organizational governance, human rights and labour practices, the environment, fair operating practices, consumer issues and community involvement and development.