The residents of Isokan in Ogun on Monday commended Airtel Nigeria for assisting in restoring electricity, 15 years after the community was thrown into darkness.
Airtel said in a statement that Isokan community had been disconnected from the public power grid since 2005 due to equipment failure.
The telco said the situation of the Isokan community was brought to its attention via the Airtel Touching Lives initiative which prompted the company to intervene.
“The story was featured in an episode of the television program, ‘Airtel Touching Lives’, which aired earlier in the year on national TV.
‘It showed community members narrating how livelihoods had been adversely impacted over the years, throwing homes, families and businesses in distress,” it said.
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According to the statement, during the moving episode, Airtel pledged to support the community with the sum of N7 million to bankroll the electrification project which had been abandoned due to lack of funds.
It said the telco had since delivered on its promise, restoring power to the community following the erection of 29 utility poles and connection of the high tension and low tension cables to the main power grid transformer.
The people of Isokan community commended Airtel for restoring their long lost hope and giving hundreds of families a chance at a better life as businesses could now thrive with the prospect of stable electricity, it said.
Commenting, Secretary, Electrification of Isokan Community, Mr Bamidele Moses, said the intervention was life-changing.
He lauded Airtel for truly touching the lives of those in dire need without fanfare.
“Airtel Touching Lives has really touched our lives beyond our imagination. It still feels unreal because we have been in this situation for so long and nobody came to our rescue.
“I just want to thank Airtel for such generosity. This means so much to the people of Isokan. May God bless Airtel always,” Moses said.
Director of Corporate Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility, Airtel Nigeria, Emeka Oparah, said: “Airtel is committed to creating opportunities for Nigerians and providing platforms that will make lives better.
“The Airtel Touching Lives initiative has a singular vision of providing relief for communities and individuals who require them.
“We are excited that life has returned to the Isokan Community and we will not relent in our efforts of reaching out to underprivileged persons and communities across the country,” he said.
Airtel Touching Lives is an inspiring CSR initiative that seeks to offer relief, succor, hope, opportunities, and credible platforms to liberate and empower the underprivileged.