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A leading Public Relations, Marketing and Communications Firm in conjunction with [url]The-Insider.org[/url] is calling for entries into its 2016 edition of the “Corporate Communications Pitch Competition”.

Grand Prize: Six (6) month paid internship with the Public Relations, Marketing and Communications Firm which may lead to full employment and One Hundred and Thirty Thousand Naira (N130, 000) cash prize.

1st Runner-up: Seventy thousand naira (N70, 000) cash prize

And other prizes

As part of the selection process, applicants are required to write an essay on “A case study of how PR agencies have transformed brands in Nigeria and the key drivers that have made it possible.”

Watch for more details

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We are beyond excited to present to you the first edition to our 2016 workshop line up- #My2016Goals Strategising for Success.

“People with goals succeed because they know where they are going”.
– Earl Nightingale

Every year we make resolutions, set goals, targets and hope we achieve our dreams. For most of us, by March some of these goals are either forgotten or seem beyond our reach. The truth is, sometimes, life gets in the way. Old habits return, we get weighed down by over ambitious goals, lack proper planning and time management skills, lack self confidence and motivation or simply give up too easily. To make matters worse, almost every news pundit is suggesting that 2016 will be tough year for the economy
So how can we position our personal lives, careers, businesses to succeed in tough economic times? How can we set realistic but ambitious goals for 2016? What strategies for success can we imbibe? How can we empower ourselves financially to meet our goals? How can we ensure we stay focused on achieving our goals throughout 2016?

“Setting a goal is not the main thing, it is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with the plan!”
– Tom Landry

Why the #My2016Goals Workshop?

We want you to succeed. We want to empower women with the tools and strategies for succeeding in their set goals for the year.

The objective of the #My2016Goals Workshop is to ensure attendees set realistic, targeted and ambitious goals, while also ensuring that they have the tools to remain focused on actualisation throughout 2016.

At the end of the event each woman will have a set of realistic goals, a personal vision board, tools for tracking and monitoring progress, an understanding of the role of finance in realising her goals, And much more...

The event will feature amazing speakers, with tried, tested and trusted strategies for achieving set ambitions and targets. Speakers include
• Stephanie Obi- Business Coach who will be helping workshop participants to create their personal vision boards and teaching on how to stay focused on achieving your goals no matter how ambitious they seem
• Omilola Oshikoya- Africa’s Premier Wealth Coach who will be speaking on how to finance your dreams and visions as well as important financial goals to set during tough economic times
• Glory Edozien- Founder Inspired by Glory who will be speaking on how self love can help you achieve your goals

Why should you attend the #My2016Goals Workshop?

The #My2016Goals Workshop is for women who are passionate about personal development and want to succeed in 2016.

It is for women who want to learn how to stay focused on achieving their goals no matter how big they are, women who want to learn important financial goals to set during tough economic times and how to finance their dreams. The event is also for women who want to learn how to move past self doubt and become better managers of their money.



Event details

Date: 6th February 2016
Time: 10am Prompt

Venue: Prestige Hospitality Building. Plot 6a Block 64 Fola Osibo. Lekki Phase 1

Fee: N25,000 (Early Bird till 1st February 2016)
N35,000 (After the 1st of February 2016)
To register: please fill in the form below
Email us at events@inspiredbyglory.com for more information

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The ICT sector was a beehive of activities with the successful launch of many products, services, projects and initiatives targeted at improving the lives of its loyal customers and clientele in 2015.
MTN Nigeria, leading ICT and Telecommunications giant was not left out as it rolled out new innovative products and services as it continued to provide operational support to key sectors of the economy like banking, E-commerce, oil and gas and others. The positive impact was clearly visible and beneficial to its customers and Nigerians in general.
Below are ten projects and activities that made MTN the most-talked about brand in the ICT sector in 2015.


1. MTN Foundation at 10 Anniversary:
One of the many ways through which MTN Nigeria shone brightly in 2015 was the impact it made, and has continued to make through its CSR vehicle, MTN Foundation. Founded in 2005, the foundation positively impacts the lives of many Nigerians through its several activities and amazing works. Supported by MTN with 1% of its Profit after Tax annually, several life-changing initiatives have been deployed with project partners and state governments in 550 locations country-wide to improve the lives of ordinary Nigerians in Health, education, economic empowerment and Arts, culture and entertainment.
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Apart from consolidating on existing projects by widening the pool of beneficiaries through its scholarship program, disability support project, EYEris project, school furniture donations, donation of dialysis and mammography machines across General Hospitals in the country which have positively impacted thousands of lives, the Foundation also launched its 'What Can We Do Together' initiative where Nigerians were invited to participate in and partner with MTN to identify and select areas of need requiring attention and support by socially responsible organisations like MTN. As a result of this collaborative process, 200 communities have benefitted from boreholes, transformers, school furniture and donation of household items for orphanages. MTNF has invested over N18bn on social investment projects countrywide.
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In its bid to complement government’s efforts at providing succour to the needy, MTN Foundation also distributed relief materials to three Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDP) camps in North East, Nigeria in 2015.
The relief materials, meant to provide succour and restore hopes, were distributed to displaced persons in Government College, Maiduguri, Borno State; NYSC Camp, Yola, Adamawa State and Poponari Camp, Damaturu, Yobe State. The relief materials included mattresses, pillows, bed sheets, pillow cases, bathing soaps, disinfectants, cooking pots, kerosine stoves and cartons of noodles.
Other significant interventions of the foundation in the year were the sponsorship of two popular dance dramas - Kakadu and Wakaa, The Musicals. The sponsorships were targeted at promoting and enhancing creativity in the Nigerian performative guild. The energy, creativity and the world class quality of the performances over a 5-day period generated rave reviews and a national buzz towards the end of the year.
Finally, as part of its continuous efforts at creating awareness on the importance of early detection of breast cancer among women, the foundation also sponsored series of events across Nigerian cities in 2015 ranging from 'Awareness Walks' to polo tournaments.

2. MTN Project Fame 2015:
One of the enduring and most impactful ways through which MTN has been transforming the lives and empowering West African youths is the MTN Project Fame West Africa.
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For the past eight years, MTN Project Fame has been taking young talents off the streets and leading them to fame, stardom and economic empowerment. Many of them have moved on to establish profitable businesses and create jobs and employment for others.
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Some of the most commercially successful musicians in Nigeria today are alumni of the Project Fame Academy. The 2015 edition saw an 18-year-old Jeffrey Akoh winning the music empowerment competition, smiling home with a N5 million cash prize, one-year recording contract and a SUV.

3. MTN Best 11 Trutalk Win A Home Promo:
This promo generated a lot of buzz and excitement for MTN in 2015.
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The promo which was tied to the number ‘11’ afforded 11 customers on its network to address a human need- Shelter and own three bedroom houses worth N15m each (or cash equivalent).
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The houses were showcased by Lamudi Nigeria, through its vast array of developers. Also, every day, 24 people won N11,000 cash every hour.

4. MTN Tech+:
The MTN Tech+ congregated an ecosystem that promoted cutting-edge technologies through education, enterprise and innovation in the African Market through exhibition.
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As a major partner for the event, MTN used it as a platform to showcase its ICT credentials through high-tech demos and workshops. It also used the intervention to launch an innovative payment system called 'MTN Token.'
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This is a mobile phone service offering a single means of authentication for online services with high and comforting levels of assurance.

5. MTN Music+ Anniversary:
The MTN Music+ anniversary was an innovative engagement platform called ‘Noiseless party’ put together to celebrate artistes and music lovers, while celebrating its success story since the past 18 months.
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This was the first of its kind in Nigeria and the event created a very high ‘talkability’ on blog sites and social media platforms.

6. Sponsorship of Christian and Muslim Customers:
MTN Nigeria made huge impact in the lives of some of its Christian subscribers as it sponsored over 20 customers on an all-expenses paid trip to Jerusalem for the year’s pilgrimage. The Muslim customers were not left out. 20 of its Muslim customers were also sponsored on an all-expenses paid trip to Mecca to fulfil some of their religious Hajj obligations.
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MTN has been sponsoring its Muslim and Christian customers to pilgrimages since 2008.

7. MTN Prestige Launch:
Another initiative that put MTN in the spotlight was the launch of 'MTN Prestige.' The company celebrated its High Value (HV) customers, 100 CEOs and captains of industry.
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They were treated to a night of alternative music at a prestigious musical event tagged ‘MTN Prestige’.
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The high point of this event was the launch of MTN Prestige, a loyalty and reward programme for its HV customers.
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They will enjoy a broad range of cost optimization, lifestyle and business benefits among others.

8. MTN Golf:
For many years, MTN has sponsored the annual World Golfers Championship (WGC) and other golfing competitions. The tournaments have proven to be viable and reliable platforms for customer engagement and interactivity and equally reinforced its role as an enabler of socio-economic development across several fronts in Nigeria.
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Golfers and enthusiasts of the sport were treated to an impressive and exciting tournament in 2015.

9. MTN Polo:
The MTN Polo 2015 was another talking point for the telecoms leader. The event converged lovers of polo. MTN’s involvement in the promotion of Polo and other sports in the country made the Nigerian Polo Federation (NPF) President, Francis Ogboro, to shower encomiums on MTN.
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Through its charity gesture, the MTN UNICEF Charity Shield international polo tournament made a N5 million donation to UNICEF with respect to its campaign against HIV/AIDS pandemic among Nigerian children.

[b]10. NCC fine on MTN:
[/b]The imposed N1.04 trillion ($5.2 billion) fine on MTN by the Nigerian Communications Commission over its failure to disconnect SIM cards with incomplete registration was another talking point in the country. The company which has been the industry leader was sanctioned for failing to disconnect 5.1 million lines from its network. Meanwhile, MTN filed a suit at the Federal High Court, Lagos, challenging the fine.

A Judge in Brazil has ordered cellular service providers in the country to block the popular WhatsApp phone-messaging application for two days for failure to comply with a July court order in a criminal case.

SindiTelebrasil, a Brazilian phone-company association, said....READ FULL STORY: http://the-insider.org/blog/brazil-court-blocks-whatsapp-for-2-days/

In marketing terms, Christmas is the peak where business owners spend more on adverts and give discounts on products/services. These business owners make loud noise to get their offer heard. Though Christmas is a season of merriment but business owners see it as the season to make sales.
According to Harvard Business Review, most adults don’t mind the 4 months of advertising. Quite the opposite! Study reveals that holiday marketing actually puts consumers in a good mood and gives them useful tips and ideas for picking the perfect gifts.
With this in mind, I will give you some tips on how to smile to the bank after Christmas season. Below are successful tips to boost your sales this season.
1. REMIND AND GIVE EVERY DAY: THE CHRISTMAS CALENDAR
What could be more fitted for the spirit of Christmas than a promotion that keeps on rewarding you every day until Christmas, making it fun and engaging to count the days until the big day?
Christmas or advent calendar is for a reason a popular way to remind of your products and engage the potential customer during the holiday season. Online calendar can be surprisingly effective in reminding of your product but also driving sales. Use discount codes and targeted daily offers to increase purchase intent. You can build a calendar with daily offers, or a calendar with a gift tip for each of the 24 days. Combine your traditional offers with some fun and engaging items, like holiday songs, recipes or gift tips and you’ll have a winning promotion at your hand. And of course you can start the countdown to Christmas already today, since Christmas is few days away.
2. MAKE IT EASY TO CHOOSE: THE PERFECT GIFT PAGE
We all know how stressful it can be to try to find the perfect gift, especially if it’s for the significant other. Finding the perfect gift is actually ranked as one of the top holiday stress reasons.
This is where a simple landing page can make all the difference. You, the retailer, know exactly what the perfect gift for a husband / mother-in-law / 5-year old / family dog would be, so why not showcase the selected product. Build a landing pages, or a small product catalogue,.....
READ COMPLETE ARTICLE ON http://the-insider.org/blog/5-successful-ways-to-boost-sales-of-this-christmas-season/

In marketing terms, Christmas is the peak where business owners spend more on adverts and give discounts on products/services. These business owners make loud noise to get their offer heard. Though Christmas is a season of merriment but business owners see it as the season to make sales.
According to Harvard Business Review, most adults don’t mind the 4 months of advertising. Quite the opposite! Study reveals that holiday marketing actually puts consumers in a good mood and gives them useful tips and ideas for picking the perfect gifts.
With this in mind, I will give you some tips on how to smile to the bank after Christmas season. Below are successful tips to boost your sales this season.
1. REMIND AND GIVE EVERY DAY: THE CHRISTMAS CALENDAR
What could be more fitted for the spirit of Christmas than a promotion that keeps on rewarding you every day until Christmas, making it fun and engaging to count the days until the big day?
Christmas or advent calendar is for a reason a popular way to remind of your products and engage the potential customer during the holiday season. Online calendar can be surprisingly effective in reminding of your product but also driving sales. Use discount codes and targeted daily offers to increase purchase intent. You can build a calendar with daily offers, or a calendar with a gift tip for each of the 24 days. Combine your traditional offers with some fun and engaging items, like holiday songs, recipes or gift tips and you’ll have a winning promotion at your hand. And of course you can start the countdown to Christmas already today, since Christmas is few days away.
2. MAKE IT EASY TO CHOOSE: THE PERFECT GIFT PAGE
We all know how stressful it can be to try to find the perfect gift, especially if it’s for the significant other. Finding the perfect gift is actually ranked as one of the top holiday stress reasons.
This is where a simple landing page can make all the difference. You, the retailer, know exactly what the perfect gift for a husband / mother-in-law / 5-year old / family dog would be, so why not showcase the selected product. Build a landing pages, or a small product catalogue,.....
READ COMPLETE ARTICLE ON http://the-insider.org/blog/5-successful-ways-to-boost-sales-of-this-christmas-season/

As part of its effort in making this yuletide a remarkable and memorable one, Nigeria’s innovative blog, the-insider.org will be rewarding its readers and followers on its social media handles through its #insiderxmasgiveaway.
The #insiderxmasgiveaway is a way of saying thank you to readers and followers of its site and social media handles.
The promo will afford a lucky winner a fun trip to an all-expenses paid trip to one of Nigeria’s luxury hotels. Other winners will enjoy prizes including mobile phones, blenders, electric iron.
To be part of thisgiveaways,
1. visit the website: the-insider.org and make interesting comment on its posts; download and repost the image below using #insiderxmasgiveaway.
2. Follow its instagram page via @thenewsinsider and its twitter handle @The_newsinsider
3. Tell us why you love Christmas using #whyilovechristmas.
This promo runs from now till January 4th, 2016.

Do you know that a model earns over 10 billion in a year.
See the top earners in the modelling industry
http://the-insider.org/blog/see-the-five-highest-paid-models-in-the-world/

With a view to strengthening its operational oversight, leadership, governance and regulatory compliance across its 22 operating countries in Africa and the Middle East, MTN Group has reviewed its operational structure.
This development among other reasons is to avoid the recurrence of the fine imposed by Nigeria’s communications regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for failure to disconnect 5.1 million subscribers on its network in August and September 2015 in other operating countries. The regulator fined the company N1.04 trillion, though the amount has been reduced to N674 billion.
Due to the company’s operational restructuring, the Chief Executive Officer, MTN Nigeria, Mike Ikpoki and Head, Corporate Services Executive, Akinwale Goodluck have resigned with immediate effect. Ferdi Moolman takes the position of http://the-insider.org/blog/mtn-group-restructures-operations-as-nigeria-ceo-resigns/

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has reduced the fine imposed on telecommunications giants MTN for failure to disconnect 5.1 million subscribers on its network in August and September 2015. The fine has been reduced from N1.04 trillion to N674 billion.
In the wake of the new developments the Chief Executive Officer, MTN Nigeria, Mr Mike Ikpoki and Head, Corporate Services Executive, Akinwale Goodluck have resigned with immediate effect.
In a press statement made available exclusively to THE-INSIDER by MTN Group, the letter was issued by The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to the company reducing the fine to US$3.4 Billion. However, the telecommunications company is yet to respond as they are still considering and hoping for further reduction.
READ FULL ARTICLE: http://the-insider.org/blog/ncc-reduces-mtn-fine-to-n674-billion-as-ceo-resigns/

The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Covenant of Peace, Ikorodu, Lagos will on Friday, 4th December, 2015 hold its 4th annual Convocation to Praise—a vigil organised every first Friday of December, at the Ikorodu Town Hall, Lagos.
The 2015 edition is tagged “A Night of 365+1 Hallelujah”. The vigil is an avenue for people to praise and thank God for his guidance, protection and provision since the beginning of the year and entrusting the coming year to his hands (God).
The Pastor, Olaitan Aromolaran, stated that this year’s edition will take a different dimension as worshippers will shout 365+1 electrifying Hallelujahs that will usher them into the leap year.
Speaking on the birth of Convocation to Praise, the Convener, Pastor Aromolaran, said: “in 2002, during the December Let’s Go A-Fishing- an evangelical outreach of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, held at the Ikorodu Town Hall, when Daddy G.O., Pastor E.A Adeboye, was to minister, but the rug on the podium had lost its honour as a result of age and use. To me, the rug was misfit and there was an urge within me to do something. I asked my pastor if we could change it; and I left to get a brand new rug with the money I borrowed from a friend. After the programme I took the rug, which became my ‘prayer mat’ as well as my most prized possession”, he stated.
While Daddy G.O was preaching, I was praying silently that God should also use me to gather people to praise him. Ten years after, God decided to require a gift from me. I thought it was monetary gift not until he told me to gather people to praise him in a single night and shout 365 Halleluiah for each day of the coming year. So, Convocation to Praise became a prophecy fulfilled.
“The one held last year had mass choir of 800 people and God showed forth Himself, and it was a moment of joy and deliverance for the thousands of worshipers who participated,” he affirmed.
Since the inception of the programme in 2012, people have continuously gathered in their thousands to give God praise and many life-transforming testimonies are usually recorded during the programme. The programme which also serves as a platform to create public awareness towards the Holy Ghost Congress has produced veritable faith boosting testimonies in the past.
The 2014 edition of Convocation to Praise featured men and women in multicultural dance; from Ekiti songs to Zulu dance steps; and from over two hundred men and women in arrays of multiple colours vocalising an assortment of praise songs on an aesthetically decorated stage, to anointed men of God prophesying into the lives of the worshipers.

‘Surprises’ took center stage yesterday at Nigeria’s premier ivory tower, the University of Ibadan (UI), as Nigeria’s leading telecommunications and ICT Company, MTN, surprised Professor Anthony Durojaiye Ologhobo, of the department of Animal Science, with a gift of a brand new KIA car.
In a move that surprised many, MTN’s team, led by the DG Regional Operations, Lagos/South-West, Mrs Fehintola Mustapha in company of hip-hop act, Dr Sid, stormed the University Campus at about 1p.m on a mission to create pleasant surprises for staff and students of the university.
Interestingly, some of the students that nominated Professor Ologhobo for the surprise gift also got gifts of iPhones from MTN. A Post Graduate student, Femi Taiwo and Okunhoya Bishop both received surprise gifts of an iPhone 6 each from MTN, before Professor Ologhobo received what he later described as the surprise of a life time.
An obviously elated Professor Ologhobo said “This is a gift from the Almighty God. I was not expecting anything from MTN, I was only told to come and present some gifts to my students. I don’t know how to explain this. This is a great surprise and I am eternally grateful to MTN for this gesture. I equally use this opportunity to call on other corporate bodies to promote academic excellence and reward the moral rectitude of deserving dons. This is an encouragement for all of us at the University of Ibadan, to put our best into whatever we are doing”
MTN had earlier this year, created pleasant surprises in this same manner, at the University of Lagos, when the Company surprised Professor Harrison Oloruntade Longe with a gift of a brand new KIA Cereno.

The Ekiti state capital, Ado-Ekiti, will on Saturday, 21st March 2015, host the Babatunde Femi Owolabi Memorial Heart Foundation, as the foundation is set to facilitate a public lecture and organize free diabetes and hypertension screening for the people in the locality, as part of activities lined up in its campaign for the prevention of cardio-vascular diseases and other related conditions.
These and more, were revealed at a press briefing held on Thursday 12th March, at the Hotel 1960 Prince of Anthony, in Anthony Village, Lagos. While explaining the rationale behind the activities of the foundation, the President of the foundation, Mr. Tope Tosin Owolabi, said ignorance on the part of citizens and the lack of access to medical facilities in many parts of the country are major factors contributing to the rising cases of non-communicable diseases like diabetes and hypertension in Nigeria. However, he stated further, that his desire to immortalize the memory of his late brother, Babatunde Femi Owolabi who lost his life to a cardiovascular disease was the motivating factor, behind the establishment of the foundation.
In his words, ‘diabetes and hypertension are silent killers but these diseases can also be prevented if discovered early. Our objective is to give Nigerians opportunity to know their health status and to educate them on how to prevent cardiovascular diseases’. Speaking further on the mission of the foundation, Mr Tope Tosin Owolabi said there is a need for concerted effort, geared towards arresting the rising cases of illness and death from needless and preventable diseases. This he said led him to commence the fight against these diseases, through awareness programs, health education, health promotion, health screening, treatment and administration of drugs where applicable.
Also speaking during the event, the Guest Speaker, Dr Omowunmi Bakare, described diabetes and hypertension as diseases that inflict people, as a result of their life style. She identified ignorance, poverty and lack of periodic medical check-up as some of the factors that lead to cardio-vascular diseases. “Health, they say is wealth. But where majority live in abject poverty, both health and wealth becomes inaccessible to the poor. A lot of people cannot even afford to check their blood pressure (BP) talk less of going for a complete medical check-up”, she says.
Established in March 2014, the Babatunde Femi Owolabi Foundation, last year, provided medical screening for over 250 participants during a free screening exercise conducted in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State. According to the organisers, the foundation is hoping to reach out to more people in this regard, this year, while educating Nigerians on the prevention of cardio-vascular diseases.

Nigeria’s leading telecommunications and ICT Company, MTN, yesterday presented a cheque of N50 million to Omotola Akinsola, the star prize winner of ‘Who Deserves To Be Surprised’ , a special edition of the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire (WWTBAM) TV game show held last December, as part of the MTN Season of Surprises campaign. Omotola had won a house worth N50million, but opted for the cash equivalent. The runner-up during the WWTBAM special edition, Mrs Iyabode Olasunmbo Sodiya Dawodu was also presented with a brand new Year 2014 KIA Cerato.
At a brief presentation ceremony held at Ultima Studios, Lekki, Lagos, the star prize winner, Omotola Akinsola who was accompanied by her Dad, Professor Wole Akinsola, was visibly overjoyed as she was presented with her winning by the General Manager, Consumer Marketing, MTN Nigeria, Mr Richard Iweanoge.
Omotola, who is currently a Youth Corp member, runs JumpStart Academy, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) through which she recruits mentors from various Universities across the country, to help tutor secondary school students in public schools, most especially those who cannot afford the fee, in preparation for their examinations. Her academy currently sponsors more than two hundred and fifty public secondary school students in the area of counseling, tutorials and obtaining examination forms for children of the needy. According to the organisers, it was this noble feat of hers, that earned her a well deserved nomination for the ‘Who Deserves To Be Surprised’ competition, where she eventually found her way to Frank Edoho’s hot seat, and emerged the star prize winner.
Omotola who could not hide her excitement during the presentation ceremony, said that a large chunk of her winning will be channeled into the activities of JumpStart Academy, so as to touch more lives and enable the children of the needy to also become achievers in life. “MTN, through this largesse has given more Nigerian youths access to good education and economic empowerment. I thank MTN for being an enabler”, Omotola said.
For the runner-up, Mrs Iyabode Olasunbo Dawodu, who just retired as a nurse last week, her joy knew no bounds as she thanked MTN for giving her what she termed her ‘retirement benefit’.

As part of its ongoing Season of Surprises, MTN has unveiled another surprise package that is targeted at University dons.
This is inspired from its advert currently running on television stations across the country, where some old students appreciated their former lecturer with a surprise birthday party. The reality of the advertis set to be brought alive as MTN iscalling on Nigerian students in higher institutions of learning to nominate any of their Professors who deserve a pleasant surprise.
In this initiative tagged ‘Surprise your Professor’, University students within the country are expected to make their nominations by texting [Sender’s Name – Twitter handle -School – Professor – Department] to 5005 free of charge.
According to a press release issued by MTN, after proper scrutiny and deliberations via laid down criteria, some of the nominated Professors will be selected to receive a pleasant surprise from MTN. The surprise packages will be unveiled to the chosen Professors at their various campuses, while the top3 nominators amongst the students will also be chosen for another pleasant surprise package.
Pleasant surprise moments have already been witnessed in major university campuses within the country, where lucky students have received pleasant surprise packages from MTN. Speaking on this development, the Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Bayo Adekanmbi said “as a brand that believes in an all-inclusive reward system, it is not enough to surprise university students without a corresponding or even bigger surprise package for their teachers who mould them and shape their lives. It is against this background that MTN is ensuring that the on-going Surprise campaign is taking this new turn”.

The MTN Season of Surprises which has continuously astonish Nigerians since November 1, have hit Nigeria tertiary institutions. Students of University of Lagos and Federal College of Education, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos were today stunned with excitement as one of MTN’s ambassadors and Mavin’s Records’ First Lady, Tiwa Savage paid them a surprise ‘November’ visit, as part of MTN surprise package for the students.
The students who could not hide their feelings and excitement thronged in their hundreds to have a feel and take photographs with the singer. In an experience that will remain one of their most exciting moments, two Nigerian Students- Ugwu Joseph, a 300 level student, University of Lagos and Shodeinde Zainaat Afolashade of Federal College of Education, Akoka, received an iphone 6 while others received varieties of gifts from MTN.
Describing the surprise package delivered to him for just being a subscriber, Ugwu Joseph commended MTN for the surprise gift. Not even in my wildest imagination have I thought of owning the latest iPhone. This is really the most exciting surprise that I have ever received from any brand in Nigeria. I say a big thank you.”
The MTN Season of Surprises has produced lots of amazement since its inception on November 1. The Surprise campaign has seen interesting shocks ranging from ambassadors attending to customers at service centres, to Dr. Sid boarding a BRT bus and giving out gifts.
To be part of the excitement, Subscribers on MTN network are to text the number 11 to 400, to receive pleasant surprises and can join the gist on social media platforms via #YelloEleven.

From Lagos, Port-Harcourt, Abuja, Ibadan to Benin, Nigerians were today overwhelmed as the leading telecommunications and ICT Company in the country, MTN, ushered Nigerians into its much expected Season of Surprises.
To the surprise of many, popular Nigerian artists, most especially MTN ambassadors were on ground at various locations all over the country to unveil surprise packages to Nigerians, while giving out various eye-popping gifts to the delight of many.
Limpopo crooner, Kcee, Timaya, Sound Sultan, and Saka were among the celebrities that kick-started the MTN Surprise Campaign, where-in MTN is giving Nigerians pleasant surprises, while encouraging the general public to surprise one another, as life is more meaningful when you surprise someone.
Subscribers on MTN network are to text the number 11 to 400, to receive pleasant surprises. The MTN Surprise Campaign is also trending on social media platforms via #YelloEleven.

The good times are here again as MTN is set to usher its subscribers into a season of surprises. Information emanating from the leading ICT company says like never before, from November 1, existing and would-be subscribers on the MTN network are about to have the best moments of their lives that can only be described as memorable experience worth the while.
Interestingly, this experience is coinciding with the Yuletide season that is naturally associated with love and care among family and friends. MTN will use this opportunity to demonstrate its brand promise in ways that would make its customers’ lives a whole lot brighter.
Speaking on the rationale behind this campaign, the Chief Marketing Officer of the company, Olubayo Adekanmbi said,“In every business, the consumers are always the kings. For this singular reason they deserve to be treated with respect, love and care. Riding on this understanding,MTN is poised like never before to make its customers’ lives a whole lot brighter with its surprise campaign.”
Speaking further, Olubayo stated that it is a fact that life is made better by the moments of surprises we create for others and ourselves. “There is no better period to exhibit this other than this season. As a company that is committed to making life better for our subscribers, we are pleased to kick off the campaign as a platform for our subscribers to find moments to surprise their families, friends and loved ones.”
Observation has shown that at the moment, on different media platforms, MTN Surprise is already reaching out to customers. Watch out for these mind-blowing awesome moments.

The twenty pilgrims sponsored by the leading ICT and telecommunications company, MTN, have arrived the country, after fulfilling the fifth pillar of Islam and having a life enriching experience in the holy land of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The pilgrims, who came with a high sense of spiritual fulfilment, showered encomium on MTN for not just given them a rare opportunity they have long desired but, making them better people in their Islamic faith with awesome experience.
Apart from fulfilling the Hajj rites, they had the privilege of visiting the Prophet Mosque in Medina.
One of the excited beneficiaries, Hajarat Ahmed Aboki, a thirty year old post graduate student, from Suleja, Niger state, while commending MTN for the rare privilege given to her, stated how uplifting and fulfilling the journey was. “Sincerely, words cannot express how I feel. This is a rare opportunity given to me for just subscribing to an Islamic content on the MTN Value Added Services. This is my first time of travelling for Hajj and even travelling out of the country.
“Alhamdulillah (to God be the glory), I was able to perform the Umrah, the Hajj itself and other Islamic obligations expected from a pilgrim who travels to Mecca. It is so amazing, fulfilling the fifth pillar of Islam without paying a dime. All my expenses were taken care of, from my flight from Abuja to Lagos, then to Saudi Arabia and coming back, It was an awesome experience.
Speaking on how the journey to the holy land impacted so much in her life, Aboki stated: “it has had a great impact in my life. It has made me a changed person; feeling like new born child, because I felt my sins have been forgiven and washed away Insha’Allah (by God’s grace).
Another sponsored pilgrim, Mohammed Bello, from Lagos, stated that the journey has uplifted his spiritual life. “I feel spiritually uplifted. I was able to raise the banner of Tawheed high and reviving its characteristics that have perished. This is one of the foremost objectives of Hajj. I was able to throw pebbles during the last Days of At-Tashreeq, which is the last of the rituals of Hajj that a pilgrim does before performing Tawaaf Al-Wadaa‘, leaving Makkah to go home.”
Speaking on how the subscribers were selected, the Senior Manager, Segments Marketing, MTN, Saidat Lawal-Mohammed Mohammed-Lawal states that the subscribers were selected through a computer-based random selection, on the digital Value Added Services like the daily devotionals, Islamic quotes, sermons, Islamic songs, prayers, Islamic callertunez and other spiritually uplifting and faith enriching contents they subscribed to.
“It is a reward for their dedication to our services that we decided to appreciate our customers and express how important they are to us” she says.
Meanwhile, before Nigerian pilgrims travelled for this year’s pilgrimage, MTN was at various Hajj Camps across the Country and distributed over 20,000 travel kits including bags, money waist pouch, bathroom slippers and free MTN SIMs card.