As is its practice, Globacom, one of the nation’s leading telecommunications companies, is out with a new sales promotion meant to amaze and reward its customers. Tagged My Own Don Beta, the new promo is meant to empower Nigerians, especially those at the bottom of the pyramid, with items that can set them on the path to prosperity.
The Computer Village, Ikeja, Lagos is always a beehive of activities. The momentum, however, scaled up on Thursday, October 17, as the biggest tech market in Nigeria hosted the first draw of the current wave of sales promotions in the country, the Recharge and Win Big promo otherwise known as My Own Don Beta. It is a customer-reward initiative recently launched by national telecommunications company, Globacom.
Before now, the Computer Village, the biggest assembly of ICT traders in West Africa which majorly deals in tech-related equipment and accessories, was rarely used by corporate organisations as a springboard to spread promotional joy to many homes across Nigeria as witnessed last Thursday. It has simply been a market place where buyers and sellers mill around the almost choked up streets that make up the village, moving cartons of computers, telephone handsets alongside their accessories.
While some move the goods in trucks; others use their naturally endowed “trucks”, their shoulders, to get the job done or simply hold such in their hands if it is within tolerable limit.
The noise, the jostle, the shove and the endless stream of human traffic are the regular features of the market. As tight as the market is and in order to show the world that this promo is not only real but transparent, Globacom worked with the market association and perched its nest at the popular Oremeji Street to host the life-transforming event.
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As early as 7.00 am, the entrance to Oremeji and other adjourning streets became the cynosure of all eyes as different shapes and sizes of Glo branding materials brightened the streets in the green and white colours of Nigeria. The ambience could easily pass as the venue of a national event. As the production team was mounting the relevant materials to give shade and shape to the venue, questions were asked by the passersby on what was happening. The promo team members on ground did not hesitate to warmly provide the relevant answers – Globacom, the grandmasters of data, was there to do the draw that produced the first set of lucky winners of the prizes in the ‘My Own Don Beta’ promo. It is a promo carefully designed to empower Nigerians, particularly those in the bottom of the pyramid.
Soon after, the trucks that brought the items to be won arrived with tricycles popularly known as keke, generators, industrial sewing machines and grinding mills, all gleefully displayed to show that Globacom was out to lend support to government efforts at creating self-employment.
Not long after, the venue was filled with traders, artisans, visitors and workers at the ever–busy Computer Village who converged on the venue to witness the emergence of the first set of winners.
Also at the venue were media men from the print and electronic media and press photographers, strategically positioned to capture every moment of the event.
How else could one explain the transparency of a draw which had in attendance the lottery regulators, Nigerian Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC), represented by Mrs Joy Okuna, an assistant director at Lagos Zonal office; the Nigerian Communication Commission, represented by its Lagos Zonal Office, Mr. Joseph Dimka; and the Lagos State Secretary to Government, Mrs Folashade Jaji, who was represented by Mrs Oyinade Nathan-Marsh.
The list of dignitaries was endless as the host market was represented by the likes of Iya Oja and Baba Oja of Computer Village, Mrs Abisola Azeez and Mr. Adeniyi Olasope as well as the chairman, Task Force, Ikeja Computer Village, Mr. Tony Ikani, with other members of the Computer Village market executive.
Then came the celebrities, especially those that had been associated with Globacom over the years – Mrs Patience Ozokwor (Mama Gee), her TVC rival, Mrs Sola Sobowale; Mr. Victor Osuagwu and Mr. Samuel Perry, popularly called “Broda Shaggi” amongst others. The event was compeered by Nollywood icon and member of Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Desmond Elliot, who handled the show with the dexterity of a professional. The Glo team was led by Mr. Victor Kalu, Regional Manager, (Secondary Market), Lagos.
The Baba Oja of Computer Village drew the first round of winners for the generators electronically. Emmanuel Dike, a resident of Okrika, Rivers State, was one of the winners in that category. Sounding like a man woken up from his sleep (he was actually sleeping when the call went through as he later admitted during a live phone conversation with Desmond Elliot), it took a while for Dike to realise that he was one of the lucky winners. He profusely thanked Globacom for the prize. The draw produced 39 other generator winners.
The draw moved on to the second category of grinding mills and within a few minutes, the winners, drawn by Sola Sobowale, started emerging. The first winner was Nike Olayiwola from Iwaya in Lagos, who shouted for joy when she received a call from Desmond Elliot. She said she looked forward to picking the prize at Ojuelegba in Lagos on Wednesday. The draw subsequently produced 29 other grinding mill winners, making 30 in total in the first draw.
Next was the draw for industrial sewing machines and this was handled by Nollywood star, Patience Ozokwor, who in her characteristic manner brought excitement to the event and elicited laughter from the crowd. Twenty Nigerians won the machines. One of the winners was Tochi Uzor from Ijesha, Surulere area of Lagos State, who spoke excitedly to Desmond Elliot and was very happy to have won.
Iya Oja, Mrs Abisola Azeez and representative of the Secretary to Lagos State Government, Mrs Oyinade Nathan-Marsh, also did the draws for the tricycles.
The reaction of some of the winners in this category elicited a lot of drama and laughter. Of course, that was expected, especially in the contemporary Nigerian society where many Nigerians would not believe until they see the prizes physically. While Michael Stanley from Ikorodu, who won a tricycle, chose to remain calm until the prize was delivered, another tricycle winner, Emeka Obo, who lives in Iyana Ipaja, was initially skeptical until Mama G stepped in to convince him in Igbo language that the call was actually from Globacom and that he had indeed won a prize in the promo. It was after the call that Emeka came alive and requested if he could come over immediately to collect his keke. He was told the winners would get their prizes at the Ojuelegba prize presentation on Wednesday.
A total of 100 prizes comprising 10 tricycles, 40 generators, 30 grinding mills and 20 industrial sewing machines were won and winners will receive their prizes in the promo’s first presentation ceremony scheduled to hold at Ojuelegba, Lagos tomorrow, Wednesday, October 23, 2019.
After Lagos, the Globacom draws and prize presentations continue across the country with Abuja being the next port of call before moving to Port Harcourt and six other locations. For Glo, there is no better time to empower Nigerians than now.
“My Own Don Beta” promo was launched by Globacom on October 3, 2019 with the aim of empowering Nigerians, particularly those at the bottom end of the pyramid, to win trade-establishment prizes that will enable them to set up businesses of their own.
Globacom’s Kalu remarked that “this promo will help us to empower the people and elevate our subscribers to a higher level of economic sustenance.”
He said that it is “like an end-of-year treat for Glo subscribers and urge both existing and potential subscribers not to miss this opportunity. There cannot be a better time to be a Glo subscriber than now. If you don’t have a Glo SIM yet, this is the time to get on board.”