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Before popularising the concept of CSR in the world today, society majorly benefited from established corporations through philanthropy. Famous economist, Howard Bowen, is often regarded as the father of CSR as he proliferated the concept of responsibility of corporations towards society in his book “Social Responsibilities of the Businessman.” In the book, Howard encouraged organisations to adopt the ethical framework of social responsibility, which involves responsiveness to societal stakeholders. CSR today has become incredibly consequential to the very existence and success of organisations across the world.
Oftentimes, many people innately perceive the concept of CSR as a means of subterfuge by established organisations to create a positive perception for their brands in the minds of the public. However, well-meaning organisations that view CSR as an investment and a major part of their operations go beyond brand perception to make it a genuine endeavour for impact on people, bringing about development on a general scale.
With abundance of natural resources in Nigeria, CSR in the country started with the need for multi-nationals to reduce the effects of their extraction activities in the local communities they operated in. In recent times, more organisations engage in CSR activities but only a few use it as a formidable tool to improve society.
One of such organisations that hold CSR as an obligation that should be pursued in a sustainable manner is Airtel Nigeria. The telecommunication giant is currently creating a paradigm shift in the world of CSR as we know it in Nigeria with the heightened commitment to bettering the lives of Nigerians through its Touching Lives Initiative.
Established in 2014, the drive was birthed as a result of Airtel’s dedication to bringing restitution to Nigeria by providing succour to impoverished communities and rendering a helping hand to the underprivileged.
Hence, a national TV show tagged ‘Airtel Touching Lives’, which showcases the CSR activities of the company as it impacts various individuals and communities across Nigeria was introduced. So far, over 30,000 individuals and communities have benefited from the continuous efforts of Airtel Nigeria. One of such communities is Ajah-Ilaje in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government of Lagos State.
Ajah-Ilaje had a heartrending story that started as far back as three decades ago. Life was anything but splendid in the community, owing to their poor living conditions. With a population of about 10,000 people, Ajah-Ilaje had no access to safe and clean water, a situation that heavily contributed to the low quality of life of the inhabitants. Majority of the community, young and old, would often travel incredibly long distances to find drinking water, most of the time to no avail.
Left with no alternative, many had to settle for polluted water to survive, resulting in disease outbreaks, malnutrition of inhabitants and even deaths. The situation of the community also directly affected the education of the kids, especially the girl child whose poor health hindered attendance in school. UNICEF has identified lack of access to water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) among poorer children contributes to absenteeism in school and malnutrition in Nigeria, with many experiencing frequency episodes of WASH related ailments.
UNICEF also stated that the use of contaminated drinking water results in increased vulnerability to a surfeit of water-borne diseases, including cholera, typhoid fever, diarrhoea and salmonella, among others, which lead to the death of over 70,000 children under the age of five every year in Nigeria.
Records also have it that only 26.5 per cent of the Nigerian population use improved drinking water sources and sanitation facilities, which means over 70 million Nigerians are exposed to non-potable water daily.
In 2018, Airtel intervened in the precarious situation in Ajah-Ilaje community with the provision of an ultra-modern industrial borehole, giving the people access to hygienic drinking water for the first time in decades.
At the inauguration of the borehole, community members came out in large numbers to show immense gratitude for the gesture from Airtel, with the youths, women and children performing songs and dancing full-heartedly.
