Airtel Nigeria has announced a partnership with Girl Effect, an international non-profit organisation and iSON group, the largest Information Technology Group in Africa, to empower rural and vulnerable girls in matters relating to finance, entrepreneurship, health, economic empowerment and safety, among others.

With the partnership, Girl Effect and iSON Group will leverage their highly successful Girls Connect initiative to give rural girls a voice. Girls Connect is an innovative interactive voice response (IVR) service that enables girls to listen to pre-recorded stories on their mobile phones before connecting to a specially-trained role model to answer their questions.

Girl Effect and iSON Group ran a successful pilot of Girls Connect across five locations in Kano last year. No less than 44,000 calls were made to the service during the eight-week campaign, five times more than originally expected. Since July, last year, the programme has been live state-wide across Kano and Edo, in both Hausa and Pidgin.

Commenting on the initiative, its Director, Corporate Communications & CSR, Emeka Oparah, said: “Airtel is proud to be associated with Girl Effect and iSON on this exciting journey to empower and liberate girls across the country.

“At Airtel, we are intensely interested in connecting our esteemed stakeholders to the people, information, resources and opportunities that will enable them succeed and realise their full potentials. With the Girls Connect initiative, it our hope that more girls will be inspired, empowered and encouraged to do more, achieve more and change the world.”

Hadeezah Haruna-Usie, Deputy Country Director at Girl Effect Nigeria, said: “Girls Connect is an innovative campaign that is empowering girls.’’