It was a wet Sunday evening as the cool breeze, which blew relentlessly ushered in all the carefully selected guests into the cozy tent, inside the expansive compound of MTN Nigeria, located in its corporate Headquarters in Ikoyi, Lagos. It was an important day for the management of the company. Apart from priding itself as one of the most successful telecommunication companies on the continent of Africa, MTN Nigeria rolled out the drum that Sunday evening in an exclusive media event where the company celebrated its 20th anniversary with the media.
The soul music from speakers positioned in different corners provided an ambience of soul lifting for all the invited guests as they smiled, exchanged banters catching up with old times. Of course, the glittering Yellow colour, the trademark of the company on display added flavour to the venue. Customers, publishers, editors, and reporters across broadcast, print and online were treated to a night of comedy, music and poetry performances by foremost comedian Tee a, spoken word poet, Sage Hasson and a quartet led by Emmaolin. On Air Personality and the face of ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’, Frank Edoho put the top management on the spot with questions about the MTN and what it stands for.
At the event, MTN Nigeria’s management expressed gratitude to its customers and different stakeholders for their unflinching support during its first twenty years of its existence in Nigeria. In a show of appreciation, Twenty MTN customers were rewarded with brand new cars at the event. Among the winners, who were randomly selected from subscribers that joined the network since inception in 2001, was Editor of Sunday Guardian Newspaper, Chuks Nwanne. Elated Nwanne who could not hide his excitement thanked MTN for giving him such a priceless gift.
In his remarks, Chairman MTN Nigeria, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, appreciated the role that all stakeholders had played in enabling and supporting MTN Nigeria’s journey in the past 20 years and the impact on the economy: “When we look at where we are today, and how far we’ve come, what stands out is not just the number of people connected, or the amount of revenue generated, etc. We see the multiplier effect connectivity services can have on the social and economic ecosystem. And now more than ever, I am optimistic about what the future holds for Nigeria’s digital economy and I look forward to building it together, with all of you.”
Commending various stakeholders for their support to the company in the past two decades, CEO, MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, stated: “This 20-year journey is the result of the boundless possibilities in our nation, the incredible potential that the Nigerian telecoms and technology sector represent, and the guidance and support that we have received from millions of Nigerians, in every corner of the country. We are here today because of the role that each of you – media, customers, trade partners, retailers – has played in this journey. For this, we are humbled and grateful. To all of you, we extend our deepest appreciation and gratitude, and we deliver an important message – the best is yet to come.”
With heart full of gratitude on behalf of all recipients of MTN largesse, one of the recipients of Honda HRV, Alfred Emwata Iserhienrhien who has been an MTN subscriber since 2001 said: “I got this SIM card in 2001 and everywhere I go, it has been going with me. I am happy about this gift; in fact, my mind is blown and on behalf of all the gifted persons I say thank you to MTN. We are all happy and grateful and will continue to dance because of this incredible gift.”
The ICT and telecoms company began operations in Nigeria in August 2001. Twenty years later, it has become an integral part of the country’s telecommunications success story. Earlier in August, MTN gave all customers free airtime and mobile data worth over.4 billion to commemorate its anniversary.
As part of its milestone anniversary celebration, MTN Nigeria will be participating in the Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Programme (RITC) for an opportunity to reconstruct some road networks in South-Eastern Nigeria, incorporating some of the latest technology. It will also build a world-class campus in Nigeria and sell down, up to 14% of its equity, to Nigerians.