ByPrince Osuagwu

For Etisalat the best business model is not just to roll out telecom services, collect customers money and gloat over huge Return On Investments. There has to be a sense of responsibility to the business environment that should follow every business model.

Perhaps that could explain why the Etisalat group recently nurtured an idea of preserving nature and the environment, in an initiative it tagged Envirofone. The initiative is aimed at ridding landfills of dangerous electronic waste that can poison water sources and generally harm people’s health.

Etisalat’s plan is to have Envirofone rolled out across its international operations in Africa, Asia and the Middle East .

Meanwhile the Etisalat Group’s management team, including Mohammed Omran, Chairman, Ahmad Abdulkarim Julfar, Group Chief Operating Officer, Nasser bin Obood, Chief Executive of Etisalat UAE and Ahmed bin Ali, Group Senior Vice President Corporate Communications, recently, shared their plans with Mr Rob Conway, CEO of the GSMA, in an exclusive briefing at Etisalat’s headquarters in Abu Dhabi.

At the meeting, Group Senior Vice President Corporate Communications, Ahmed bin Ali, told GSMA that “Etisalat has been working on the Envirofone campaign in the UAE since 2007 and has since collected 450 tonnes of electronic waste which have all been safely disposed of in specialist factories”. He added that the programme is widely regarded as a success and has been cited in numerous environmental and CSR conferences.

This year, Etisalat plans to introduce a new Internet-based service which allows people to recycle and trade their old but still functional phones. This will help prevent damaging chemicals being released into the natural environment of emerging markets across Africa and Asia and Middle East .

Back here in Nigeria, Chief Executive Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr Steve Evans explained that the programme has continued to garner pats the world over because of its clear and precise objectives.. According to Evans, “our environment is too precious to be taken over by e-waste; we must protect it and with this programme, Etisalat is deeply involved in doing that. We will religiously monitor the programme to ensure its success” he added.