[Nigeria] Globacom Extends Poverty Eradication Scheme to 17 States

from All Africa

This Day

Lagos

Second National Carrier and Africa 's fastest growing network, Globacom, in collaboration with state governments, local government Councils, the National Agency for Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) and well-meaning individuals, now has poverty alleviation projects in 17 states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory , Abuja .

Globacom's Chief Operating Officer, Mr Mohammed Jameel, in a statement, said the company has also pledged to take the project to all states of the federation and to as many Local Government Areas as possible. The statement said that Globacom is embarking on a nationwide partnership to bring succour to citizens by creating employment opportunities.

Globacom, in conjunction with the partner states and organizations, gave out complete telephone business packages including Glo SIM packs, handsets, tables, chairs and parasols.

The company said it intends to get more Nigerian youths off the streets into gainful employment.

States that have so far received the poverty alleviation package include Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Cross River , Edo , Imo and Edo . Others are Kwara, Lagos , Niger , Ogun, Osun, Rivers, Oyo and Jigawa.

The last two stop-overs of the Glo poverty eradication train were in Abia and Bayelsa, while plans are in top gear to reach out to the remaining states in the next few months.

Beneficiaries of Globacom's poverty alleviation scheme are of the opinion that Globacom has, more than any other network, touched the lives of the masses.

In his comments at the launch of the scheme in Minna, the Niger state capital, the State Governor, Engr. Abdullahi Kure urged the rich to assist the under-privileged in the society as Globacom had done.

The Senate president, Chief Ken Nnamani, who presented the product to the beneficiaries at the occasion, praised Globacom for identifying with the people.

In addition to commercial telephone facilities, Globacom is giving out public telephone facilities to rural communities where individuals may not be able to afford personal telephones. In such situations, the whole community would have access to the telephone.

To facilitate this, the network is also connecting remote communities where it may otherwise, not be profitable to extend coverage.

Throwing more light on the rural connection scheme, the statement said that on specific request from states, Globacom has been deploying its base stations to rural areas where it "may not fully recoup its investment".