Leading telecommunications services provider, Airtel Nigeria, has partnered with Sona Group, manufacturers of high quality snacks and nutritious confectioneries, to inspire and uplift kids across Airtel’s adopted schools as part of activities to mark the 2019 Children’s Day Celebration.

According to both organizations, plans have been finalized to fete over 4,000 pupils across six public primary schools as well as provide them with high quality learning materials including books and pens.

As part of the programme, Airtel and Sona Group will visit Oremeji Primary school in Ajegunle, Lagos State; Yahaya Hamza primary school in Zaria, Kaduna State; Iyeru Okin Primary School in Kwara; Presbyterian Primary School in Ediba, Cross River; St. John’s Primary School in Oke-Agbo, Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State and Community Primary School in Amumara, Imo state.

Employees of both organizations will spend quality time with the children, share experiences and dole out different gifts to the kids.

Speaking on the initiative, the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya, said Airtel is passionate about inspiring young children as well as creating platforms for them to succeed as this is in line with one of its cardinal CSR programmes, Adopt-a-School.

“Today is a special day for every Nigerian child. Airtel, therefore, joins Nigerians to celebrate our children including children of our adopted schools as we mark this year’s Children Day.

“As a father, I believe parents and other well-meaning individuals must take an active interest in the well- being and welfare of children so that they can be fully equipped to play their role as future leaders.

“I am especially interested in underprivileged children and I am truly pleased with what we have done together to make life better for them. Through our Employee Volunteer Scheme and Adopt-a-School programme, our interventions have reached thousands of children directly,” he said.

Commenting on the partnership, Chairman of the SONA Group of Companies, A.K. Mirchandani, said: “At SONA Group of Industries, we understand the imperativeness of putting together programs and activities that will benefit the children of Nigeria, as they are the very future of the nation, hence this partnership with Airtel to celebrate them.

“This effort is not only aimed at giving the children a memorable time but also inculcating in them the culture of learning. We wish the children of Nigeria and Africa at large the best as they observe this year’s Children’s Day. SONA Group will continue to work to support children in all areas to secure a bright future for them.”

Airtel Africa Limited is a pan-African telecommunications company with operations in 14 countries across Africa. Airtel Africa is driven by the vision of providing affordable and innovative mobile services to all and is supported in pursuing this vision by its largest shareholder, Bharti Airtel. Its product offerings include 2G, 3G and 4G wireless voice and data services and mobile commerce through ‘Airtel Money’. Airtel Africa had over 97 million customers across its operations at the end of December 2018.

SONA Group of industries is a wide-ranged conglomerate founded in Nigeria over 30 years ago; operating across key industrial sectors and contributing to the industrial growth of the nation with its subsidiaries including SONA Agro Allied Foods Ltd; the snack, biscuit and cereal production unit of SONA and makers of Milkie Bar, SONA Twister, Thins Crackers, SONA Digestive, SONA Bites and several more, Euro Global Food and Distilleries, Shongai Packaging Industry Limited, SONA Agro Allied Foods Ltd, Tech Blow Nigeria, among others. Since inception, SONA Group has made grandiose investments across the diverse sectors it operates in, using cutting-edge technology, state-of-the-art machinery and exemplary managerial techniques in all operations.