Airtel Nigeria has extended its work-from-home policy by two weeks in a bid to safeguard them from contracting coronavirus and stem the spread of the virus. It will now end on May 31.

Airtel Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Segun Ogunsanya, made this known in a statement on Saturday in Lagos.

He said that the company’s  employees particularly affected were those in Lagos, Ogun State and Abuja, the epicenters of COVID-19 infections in Nigeria.

” They have been told to continue to work from home until the end of May,” he said

Ogunsanya urged the company’s employees in others parts of the country to observe the nationwide 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew while adhering to restriction orders obtainable in their states of operation.

“All employees have  been charged  to take responsibility for their health and safety as well as that of their families and colleagues, by maintaining social distancing, observing the prescribed hygiene protocols and wearing the appropriate face masks.

“I want to commend all employees for their strict compliance to the prescribed safety and hygiene measures which has resulted in zero-infection in Airtel.

“I prayed that God continues to protect them all and their loved ones, “Ogunsanya said.

He, however, noted that some Airtel outlets were open across the country with reduced number of employees in compliance with government regulations.

Ogunsanya said that all agents had been charged to ensure contactless interactions whenever possible as they served customers.

He also urged customers to download the Airtel self-care app to avail themselves of a world of products, services and self-care in problem resolutions.

“We are mindful of the circumstances and are thankful all the company’s online platforms are working optimally with excellent resilience to withstand the pressure of contactless customer service.

“I want to assure our customers that in spite of the challenges, the network is up and running without any major issues,” the managing director said.

He commended the offices of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and Inspector General of Police (IGP) for providing security passes for Airtel engineers to move about freely to ensure uninterrupted network availability.

Ogunsanya said that the company would review the situation at the end of the month to determine the next steps with regard to the resumption of work at their  offices.