MTN consumer promos creating positive impact

Where there are millions of people who crave for a better life, there are needs for an organised, corporate programme to meet their yearnings. In Nigeria, where not a few people believe that until they travel abroad or get a school certificate they may not get a slice of the luxurious national pie, the plethora of consumer promos among leading brands in the country appear uplifting and have succeeded in eroding the faulty perspectives.

A case in question is the on-going MTN Cash Quest consumer promo, wherein MTN has doled out not less than N100 million to some of its lucky subscribers across the federation. In a move that helped MTN consolidate on its past achievements in this regard, the telecommunications and ICT firm recently held a prize presentation in Enugu and Benin, the fifth and sixth of such presentations within a period of six months.

Most notable are the reactions of the recipients of these reward schemes. Many of them had never dreamt of ever becoming a millionaire. In Enugu, Ndidi Chukwu, who beamed with smiles of joy explained that she thought it was a joke when she was notified by the Service Centre that she has won N10 million. Accompanied by her husband, the new prize was one of the things that they had always longed for, especially to beef up their marital life and sustain her husband in his business.

One Ajibola Falodun who came all the way from the South-West of the country to redeem his prize in the Coal City, narrated how he thought it unreal until he was being presented a cheque of N10 million. He recalled that he couldn’t even tell his wife when he was asked to come for his prize, trying not to appear a fool at the end of the day. But having confirmed his new status of a ‘millionaire’, Falodunsaid he called his wife to apologise for concealing the information at the onset.

Falodun Ajibola’s story is what normal Nigerians can identify with. A Nigerian craves and dreams of a day he or she could lead the live he or she so desires – a comfortable shelter, a private means of transportation, a sustainable business, sound education for the children and a restful retirement. It is amazing that the bearers of this hope, at most times, never look up to the government but continue to strive through sheer hard-work, self-belief and risk-taking that at the end pay off or lead to the attainment of their dreams.

In Benin, the story of a disabled broadcaster, Egho Okhide, is touching. He has worked his way to relevance despite his physical state – a wheelchair and a humble background –and providence bestowed a N1m prize on him from through the Cash Quest Promo. There are many stories of life-changing opportunities that have come the ways of Nigerians through medium like the Cash Quest.

Godwin Arum, the Igwe of Mbulu-Owo Kingdom in Enugu, who attended the presentation was full of excitement and praised MTN’s continuous strides in ensuring Nigerians are balanced-up economically. According to him, ‘If every company in Nigeria continues to reward our people (Nigerians) the way MTN is doing, imagine how well our economic lives will be!’

Perhaps, that was a popular sentiment. Michael Ekpe, zonal coordinator, National Lottery Regulatory Commission of Nigeria (NLRCN), shared the Igwe’s view at the presentation. He commented that, the telecommunications firm surprised him when it gave out an airplane worth over N64 million to a young lady who was in the nursing school a couple of years ago. He maintained that ‘MTN has continued to surprise us with their extraordinary giving and you can confirm that with the number of people that have been given N10 million, N1 million and N500, 000 here today’.

Giving seems to be at the heart of the ‘Yello’ brand. At the same time it was doling out millions of Naira to Nigerians in Enugu, it was also rewarding another Nigerian, Eneh Chijioke, with a house in Lagos, in a separate reward scheme tagged ‘MTN Best 11’. Eneh Chijioke became a landlord by simply making calls to his partners and families as usual. It all looks too good when you are rewarded for just living or simply doing what you are supposed to do – after all, how many people get rewarded for just making calls.

Giving hope to the Nigerian populace is a business on its own. No man or woman can work for all he will ever earn or acquire. At every junction on life’s journey, each destiny demands a lift or a helping hand. MTN has consistently come in handy. Its gifting is not a ‘feel-good’ affair. No! Such gifts are well aimed, targeted at those who need them most – like a dying business un-facilitated by the elite banking structure in the country or the micro-finance outlets; the retiring civil servants who is scared his pension may never be paid and the undergraduates who need urgent funds.

Attending to the needs of these common citizens is a responsibility that will at the end of the day ensure the nation prospers. The prosperity of the nation is essential in this era. It is even made necessary by the economic advancement in nations who several years ago, ranked the same as Nigeria. Such countries like Malaysia, India, Turkey, Ghana and even China were almost on the same pedestal with Nigeria, in the areas of per capital income. However, that has changed. What MTN is doing to facilitate a vibrant middle class, an economically viable lower class and a secure upper class by tailoring its offering to make business run efficiently and channel financial rewards to those who need it is worthy of commendation. The place of this kind of good work is all too important for the present and for our future as a nation who aspires to be one of the leading economies, in the world, within the next two decades.