Telecom
19-Year Old Clinches Lenovo National Promo Star Prize
Ms. Vivian Onyemaechi, a 19 year old, from Delta State has emerged the overall winner of Lenovo National Promo.
Oneyemaechi, a ‘Jambite’, represented by Nnamudi Marcellinus, took home the star prize of Kia Rio, with other five finalists present to collect their prizes.
The promo which lasted for 60 days, from December 1, 2015 to January 31, 2016, had a total of 5,833 participants from 50 SLOT outlets across the country, producing 10 educational grant (N200,000 each) winners.
Over 50 others received consolation prizes ranging from tablets, smartphones, deep freezers, fridges to blenders.
The Lenovo National Promo was part of the tech giant’s continued efforts to show appreciation to loyal customers across the country, in particular aimed at making the past holiday season more exciting for Nigerians.
Mr. Bolade Oyekanmi, marketing manager, LenovoTech, West Africa, described the promo as a platform for Lenovo to bond as well as drive significant engagement with its Nigerian consumers.
According to him, “The Lenovo National Promo is our way of thanking our customers for their loyalty and support. They are the major reason for our successes in the past year. The initiative also demonstrates our commitment to providing them with additional value for every smartphone purchase. We look forward to having more activities of this kind”.
“To participate in the promo, customers simply bought any Lenovo smartphone from accredited dealers nationwide and then sent a text message containing the letters IMEI, the device’s IMEI number, the device’s model number, their name and the name of the store from which the device was purchased to 38111”.
While handing the Kia Rio key to the winner, Oladapo Oyebanjo, popularly known as D’banj, SLOT ambassador, said that national promos of late, especially the Lenovo’s have been very impressive.
He said, “People have castigated promos, but my involvement has convinced me on the transparency of the process. It’s the fastest way to help the people and impact on their customers’ prices.
I have come to like SLOT as well, because they usual identify with good brands. I have benefited from their acts of magnanimity and will always support them. They are also projecting my industry which is the reason and I will stand by them. My fans are benefiting too. So, it is a win-win situation for both the customers, SLOT and Lenovo”.
Also speaking at the final draws, Mr. Onyemenam Daniel, deputy manager at the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC), said they have keenly waiting for the final draws of the Lenovo National Promo, “because we have been involved since its inception”.
“Our duty is to make sure the stakeholders are protected whether we are seeing them or not. Our job is to make sure the process is free from fraud.
“So, we congratulate the five final contestants, although one person must emerge the winner. So, we are sure that hence NLRC and CPC are there you are covered”.
Nodding in agreement, Mr. Joshua Nggada, head of Consumer Protection Council (CPC), Lagos, said that it was their duty to protect citizens from abuse, hence they were fully involved in the promo processes.
He said, «The CPC has always been at the venue of the pools and presentation of gifts. We guarantee consumers that the process has been fair and having certified it meets the standards; we encourage the consumers to participate when brands want to appreciate them.
Please, when you are participating, feel free, don’t entertain fears, especially when CPC is there to remove any encumbrance for the consumers”.
He added that CPC has always expressed her readiness to work with different brands in a manner that will put smiles on the faces of consumers.
To Jonathan Uzomba, head of Marketing at SLOT Systems, SLOT is happy to have partnered with Lenovo and will always identity with profitable brands to the benefits of customers.
“In the last 60 days, we have had a lot of activities concerning the promo which ran from Dec. 1st to January 31st in partnership with Lenovo. We are also happy that eight out of the 10 educational grants winners came from SLOT”, he said.
MTN Nigeria, in collaboration with ONErpm and Ultima Studios, has announced Ayodeji Benson, popularly known as Ayo Benzi, as the winner of the maiden edition of the Next Afrobeats Star reality show.
L-R: Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria; Ayodeji Benson, Winner, Next Afrobeats Star Reality Show (Season 1) and Emamoke Ogoro, General Manager, Brand and Communication, MTN Nigeria, at the grand finale of the Next Afrobeats Star Reality Show (Season 1), held at the Ultima Studios, Lekki, Lagos on Saturday, December 13, 2025.
The grand finale, held on Sunday night at Ultima Studios in Lekki, Lagos, marked the climax of a nationwide talent search that began in September with over 15,000 aspiring musicians.
After weeks of auditions, mentorship, and rigorous training, five finalists – Ayo Benzi, Dave Cash, Kaeko, Somto O’Laker, and Lucky Yay – battled for the top prize in a high-energy showcase of performance and artistry.
At the end of the electrifying contest, Ayo Benzi emerged victorious, securing a ₦150 million music deal. Dave Cash was named first runner-up with ₦100 million, while Kaeko, Somto O’Laker, and Lucky Yay received ₦75 million, ₦50 million, and ₦25 million respectively.
Throughout the season, contestants were mentored by leading Afrobeats producers Sarz, Puffy Tee, P Prime, and Andre Vibez. Benzi, who was part of Puffy Tee’s team, credited the mentorship programme for sharpening his craft and stage presence.
Speaking at the event, Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, Chief Marketing Officer of MTN Nigeria, said the initiative reflects the company’s commitment to youth empowerment and cultural expression.
“The Next Afrobeats Star platform is about creating real opportunities for young Nigerians and giving their talent the structure, visibility, and support it deserves.
“Afrobeats continues to place Nigeria on the global cultural map, and MTN is proud to be enabling the next generation of artists who will take this sound even further,” she said.
She added that the finale was not just a competition but a celebration of growth and readiness for the global stage.
In his acceptance speech, Ayo Benzi described the victory as a defining moment in his career.
“A big thank you to MTN. From the audition days, the treatment MTN has given us has been amazing. God bless the brand,” he said.
The finale also featured guest performances by Afrobeats stars Iyanya and Bella Shmurda, adding glamour to the night and reinforcing the show’s connection to the wider music ecosystem.
With the successful conclusion of the season, MTN Nigeria and its partners reaffirmed their role in championing youth ambition, supporting creative industries, and shaping the future of Nigerian music through platforms that turn potential into opportunity.
T2, formerly known as 9mobile, is under investigation by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in Benue State for an undisclosed incident disrupting USSD, SMS, voice, and data services across nine local government areas.
T2
The affected areas include Ado, Agatu, Gwer East, Gwer West, Konshisha, Obi, Ohimini, Okpokwu, and Otukpo, as detailed in an advisory on the NCC Major Outages Portal, which tracks significant disruptions reported by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs).
Neither T2 nor its public relations firm, Chain Reactions, has responded to inquiries on the outage’s cause or restoration efforts as of this report.
The NCC’s continued reference to the operator as 9mobile, months after its public rebranding to T2 in August 2025, has sparked questions about whether the name change was formally notified to the regulator.
This probe aligns with NCC mandates requiring operators to disclose major outages, their impacts, and timelines for fixes, with compensation obligatory for disruptions exceeding 24 hours under the Consumer Code of Practice Regulations.
Industry watchers note that such incidents, often linked to fibre cuts, power failures, or infrastructure faults, underscore ongoing challenges in Nigeria’s telecoms sector, particularly amid T2’s subscriber losses post-rebrand. NCC vows transparency via its portal to hold operators accountable and protect consumers.
Telecom
NCC Unveils Draft 5-Year Spectrum Roadmap, 60 GHz License-Exempt Guidelines to Boost Broadband, Innovation
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has unveiled two pivotal regulatory draft documents aimed at reshaping Nigeria’s communications sector over the next five years and fast-tracking deployment of ultra-high-speed wireless technologies.
NCC
In a public notice dated December 19, 2025, and issued pursuant to its mandate under the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003, the Commission published the Draft 5-Year Spectrum Roadmap for the Communications Sector (2025–2030) and Draft Guidelines for the Use of the 60 GHz License-Exempt Band for Multi-Gigabit Wireless Systems.
Both documents are accessible on the NCC website for stakeholder review, with the roadmap outlining strategic spectrum planning, allocation, and management to optimise utilisation, support emerging technologies like 5G and IoT, expand broadband access, and align with global best practices.
The Spectrum Roadmap emphasises four core pillars: bridging the digital divide through low-band spectrum and satellite services, attracting investments via flexible licensing models, enhancing service quality with mid-band optimisation, and fostering innovation in areas such as direct-to-device connectivity and secondary spectrum trading.
It sets ambitious targets including universal 4G coverage nationwide, 50 per cent 5G penetration in state capitals, and average broadband speeds of 100 Mbps by 2030, while addressing rising data demand through band refarming and efficient management.
Complementing this, the 60 GHz Guidelines establish a license-exempt framework for the 57–66 GHz band, enabling multi-gigabit speeds up to 10 Gbps for short-range applications like WiGig, fixed wireless access, enterprise connectivity, urban broadband, and backhaul solutions.
The rules mandate NCC type approval for equipment, site registration for outdoor use, and interference mitigation measures, while prohibiting wide-area networks to safeguard primary users.
In line with Section 58 of the NCA 2003, NCC invites comments from industry operators, equipment manufacturers, consumer groups, and the public, with submissions due by Friday, January 16, 2025, via email to [email protected], [email protected], and [email protected].
The notice, signed by Mrs Nnenna Ukoha, Head of Public Affairs, stresses that stakeholder inputs will refine the frameworks to drive innovation, investment, competition, and sustainable growth in Nigeria’s telecoms ecosystem.
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