MTN employees empower youth during 21 Days of Y’ello Care

L-R Nigerian musician, Abolore "9ice" Akande; Chief Corporate Relations Officer, MTN Nigeria, Tobechukwu Okigbo; Chief Human Resource Officer, MTN Nigeria, Esther Akinnukawe; Nigerian songwriter & producer, Praise "PRAIZ" Adejo and Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria, Rahul De at the Opening Ceremony for the 13th edition of the staff volunteering programme – 21 Days of Y’ello Care Campaign at the MTN Headquarters, Ikoyi, Lagos, on Monday, 3rd June 2019.

Nigeria is characterised by an ever-increasing youthful population. While this dynamic presents exciting potential, it also poses some challenges, one of which is youth unemployment.

It is against this backdrop that MTN hosts its 13th edition of 21 Days of Y’ello Care, its annual employee volunteerism programme which runs from 1 to 21 June across the company’s footprint. MTN recognises the enormous potential that young people have to drive economic growth and help their communities thrive. Hence the company has retained the theme: “Creating a brighter future for the youth” for the 2019 Y’ello Care campaign.

Commenting on the campaign, Esther Akinnukawe, Chief Human Resources Officer, MTN Nigeria, who represented Ferdi Moolman the CEO, said: “We believe that if we all join forces, there will be a rise in youth empowerment and a decrease in the prevalence of youth unemployment. Our goal for this year’s Y’ello Care programme is to do our part to support young people and help tackle the various issues they face.”

Akinnukawe adds, “As the leading mobile operator in emerging markets and given our understanding of the transformative power of digital innovation, we constantly seek opportunities to connect people with technology, so that all our stakeholders can enjoy the dividends of the digital age.  As the Fourth Industrial Revolution progresses, we will work to equip our youth with the skills and knowledge they require to effectively prepare themselves for the digital future.”

Some initiatives that MTN Nigeria will execute during the period include: E-Library set-up in some secondary schools across Nigeria, ICT and Business Skills programme at Skill Acquisition Centres (SACs) and Career Development Training for Youth. There will also be a Hackathon challenge for web developers to produce a technological solution that addresses up to five of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s): No Hunger, Zero Poverty, Quality Education, Good Health and Well-being, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure. Partnering with relevant agencies, MTN Nigeria staff have also lined up activities to raise awareness on mental health in Nigeria.

21 Days of Y’ello Care is a group wide initiative that cuts across all the 21 countries where MTN has operations.