The third season of Airtel Touching Lives, the popular philanthropic programme sponsored by leading telecommunications services provider, Airtel Nigeria, premiered in Lagos on Saturday.
The event, which was held at the Eko Hotel and Suites, was attended by some of Nigeria’s most prominent public officials, celebrities and captains of industry.
The full TV schedule for the show will follow shortly, according to the Airtel Corporate Social Responsibility Team.
Speaking to guests at the event, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Airtel, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya, said Airtel Touching Lives had continued to record tremendous success since it was launched in 2015.
Over the years, these accomplishments, he added, had become the encouragement the telecommunication company needed to keep the show coming back every year.
“We are inspired to continue to touch the lives of underprivileged Nigerians through this platform and to also motivate other privileged Nigerians to contribute their quota in making our society better,” he said.
Ogunsanya then called on like-minded Nigerians to, “join this noble cause of giving back to the society, because we believe that there are many kind-hearted, empathetic and selfless Nigerians that are willing to render succour to underprivileged people.”
Airtel Touching Lives has been a reality television show broadcast on satellite and terrestrial networks across the continent. Each season, the programme follows the journey of who are nominated by email, SMS, or letters, and documents Airtel’s process of providing tailor-made assistance to each of them.
In the previous season, grantees included the Centre for Disability, a non-governmental organisation, whose work was to help physically challenged individuals access life-improving aid.
Other recipients of the Airtel Touching Lives assistance were Mr. Essien Obong, a mathematician and software engineer, who became blind from injuries inflicted on him by armed robbers.
The current series of the programme, according to Airtel, would feature another set of inspiring stories of everyday Nigerians, who received much needed support from Airtel.
Some of the dignitaries present for the premiere event included the Wife of the Ogun State Governor, Mrs Olufunsho Amosun; Chairman, Heirs Holdings, Mr. Tony Elumelu; Chairman First Bank, Mrs. Ibukun Awosika; Chairman, Senate Committee on Telecoms, Senator Gilbert Nnaji; CEO, Channels Television, Mr. John Momoh; Publisher, Guardian Newspapers, Lady Maiden Ibru; Chairman, Brilla FM, Dr. Larry Izamoje; Chairman, Airtel Networks Limited, Justice Salihu Modibo Alfa Belgore (rtd) (GCON); and many others.
