By Amaka Abayomi

Worried by the declining state of tertiary education and the United States Department’s report that Nigeria is the largest source of students from sub-Saharan Africa to the US with over 6,560 Nigerian students studying in over 733 regionally-accredited US colleges and universities in all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, telecommunication operator, Etisalat Nigeria, lent its weight to attempts to improve the quality of education in the country.

As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, Etisalat, in 2011, partnered with the British Council to launch a teacher training programme aimed at strengthening the skills of Nigerian teachers.

It equally rolled out a career counselling initiative to appropriately guide secondary school students towards making sound, positive and fulfilling career decisions, and partnered with Lagos State government to bring about sustainable change and development to public primary and secondary schools in the state by adopting three schools in the state for life, namely, Akande Dahunsi Memorial High School, Ikoyi; Edward Blyden Primary School, Lagos Island; and Rabiatu Thompson Primary School, Surulere.

It established the Etisalat Telecommunications Engineering Postgraduate Programme that offers a one-year master’s course in telecommunications engineering.

Located in Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, Zaria, it is set up in collaboration with Plymouth University UK, the Etisalat Academy, UAE; and Huawei Technologies.

In 2009, the telecom service provider set up a scholarship programme for undergraduate students of Nigerian universities known as the Etisalat Merit Awards which has seen over 1,400 undergraduate students of Electrical Electronics Engineering, Computer Science and Business Management awarded N100,000 scholarship. Criteria for selection for this award are academic excellence and indigenous relationship to the location of each of the recipient tertiary institutions.

The 2015 edition of the Merit Award held on November 12, and 60 outstanding undergraduates from Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola; Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto; Benue State University; Bayero University, Kano; Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; and University of Abuja were awarded N100,000 each.

Speaking at the award ceremony, Vice President, Regulatory and Corporate Affairs, Etisalat Nigeria, Ibrahim Dikko, said the awards were a major part of the company’s CSR and demonstrates its commitment to educational development and the promotion of excellence among the youth segment in the country.

Speaking on behalf of Vice-Chancellors of the benefiting schools, Vice-Chancellor, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Professor Abdullahi Abdu Zuru, said: “This laudable gesture underscores the importance of public-private partnership.

“Apart from this grant and scholarship, I commend Etisalat for its visits to schools and encouragement to the students through sport and other social activities. During their last visit to our school, one of our students won a brand new car.”