Subscribers who won in the Glo Lucky Number game have received their prizes at a presentation ceremony held in Lagos. The prizes ranged from N1m to N100,000.

Globacom’s Head of Value Added Services disclosed that the Lucky Number game is for everyone on the Glo network.  Said he: “Customers can subscribe in two ways. The first is to dial the USSD code *4445# and follow the instructions. They can also text WIN or WINOT (daily), LW or LWOT (Weekly), LM or LMOT (Monthly) to the short code 4445”.

In all, seventeen lucky subscribers who made the first set of winners received cash prizes ranging from N100,000 to N1,000,000 while winners outside Lagos got theirs at designated locations across Nigeria. Globacom said just many more Glo subscribers would emerge winners in the weeks and months ahead.

The   daily draw game was created in collaboration with NCC-licensed Aggregator, Pisimobile, and VAS Provider, Yellowdot. Subscribers’ mobile numbers are automatically entered into a random selection process while the winning numbers must sequentially match a randomly selected number from the pool of active Glo subscribers, matched from right to left.

Lagos-based dry cleaner, Yusuf Malzo from Bauchi State, a N1,000,000 winner was excited saying “The money would come in handy in expanding my business”.

Also, Olajide Afolabi, a security man based in Ondo town, won N500,000.  He disclosed that he had been playing the number game for some time, though he had been unlucky. “Just as I was about giving up, my name was announced as a winner”, he disclosed adding, ” I promise to continue to play as the money has changed my life”.

A Lagos-based driver, Emmanuel Henry who said he placed himself on auto play every day and every month received a N100,000 prize. He noted that his prize had prompted him to keep playing the number game in order to win more money.

Millions of family members will receive ‘hand-me-down’ mobiles this Christmas, as tech-savvy younger consumers upgrade their phones to the latest model.

However, while globally a third of us will give our old phones to family or friends, around 75% of consumers still have at least one older phone sitting in the junk drawer, according to early figures from a new survey of 10,000 consumers across 26 countries by the GSMA, which represents mobile operators worldwide.

Globally, over 40% of mobile phones have some form of ‘second (or third) life’; being passed down to family members or friends and traded in for newer models, often over the Christmas period.

Around 14% of phones in current use globally were purchased used or refurbished, with nearly 10% of UK consumers buying refurbished phones, compared to a global average of 4%.

The used smartphone market grew by 6% in 2023, while sales of new handsets declined by 4%. Furthermore, the growth rate for reused and refurbished devices is projected to continue outpacing that of new smartphones in the coming years.

However, nearly one-third of consumers hold on to their previous phones as backups, contributing to an estimated 5-10 billion ‘pre-loved’ phones sitting idle worldwide. Many (27%) keep these devices out of concern for losing stored photos and memories, while a further fifth of consumers hold on to their devices because they don’t know what to do with them.

While receiving cash is the strongest incentive to get respondents to hand in their phones for reuse or recycling, equally important is knowing their data would be deleted properly.

Early figures from the GSMA’s global consumer survey into recycling and reuse of mobile devices, which will be released at MWC Barcelona, the mobile industry’s largest annual event in March, also found that:

• The average age of phones before replacement is around 3 years, with the vast majority of phones (75%) lasting between 1-3 years.
• Almost 60% of consumers expect to purchase their next phone within the next two years.
• Older people use phones for longer before replacing them, with over 40% using their phones for longer than 3 years.
• The top two factors that drive replacement of phones are 1) battery life (very important for 90% of consumers) and 2) poor performance / slowing down (87%).  50% said they would replace phones just to get the latest model.
• 75% of respondents had at least one old phone at home not in regular use with nearly half (46%) having at least two old phones.

Encouragingly, nearly half of consumers (49%) said sustainability is a “very important” factor in their next mobile phone purchase, and this is higher amongst younger consumers, demonstrating that interest in more sustainable and circular mobile devices is growing.

Steven Moore, Head of Climate Action at the GSMA, said: “This extensive survey shines a light on how many of us around the world are more aware of the environmental impact of our phones, want to use them for longer, but also want secure and easy ways to trade them in responsibly. With these markets only expected to grow, this presents many opportunities for companies to innovate to serve this demand.”

Reuse and recycling are increasing points of focus for mobile operators worldwide, as they move towards a more circular economy for mobile devices and network equipment –16 mobile operators have signed up to the GSMA’s pace-setting targets on circularity of mobile devices, and the GSMA’s recently launched Equipment Marketplace is helping operators reuse expensive and material-intensive network kit.

Meanwhile countries such as Australia have introduced dedicated targets and even recycling schemes for mobile phones, with positive results – survey results show that Australia has the world’s highest recycling rate for mobiles.

Recycling devices can reduce the need to mine for new materials and avoid environmental impacts while supporting the mobile industry to move towards its ambitious 2050 Net Zero goal.

A refurbished phone has just one-tenth the environmental impact of a newly manufactured phone. The GSMA estimates that if properly recycled, five billion mobile phones – just half of our latest estimate of dormant devices – could recover USD 8 billion worth of gold, palladium, silver, copper, rare earth elements, and other critical minerals, and enough cobalt for 10 million electric car batteries.

Using such materials could help manufacturers develop more robust and secure supply chains and lower the impact of mining operations on biodiversity and communities in sensitive global regions.

At the same time, operators recognise that further work is needed to address concerns that stop people from returning handsets, such as data privacy, the need to save precious memories stored on devices, and the desire to keep a spare device.

Techeconomy, a leading voice in Nigeria’s digital media space, has been awarded the Best Supportive Media Partner Presidential Award at the 7th .ng Awards.

Organised by the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), the event took place at the Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos, and celebrated leaders who have leveraged the .ng domain to drive innovation, growth, and right standing across Nigeria’s digital sector.

Themed “The Innovators of 2024,” the 7th .ng Awards celebrated businesses, individuals, and organisations that are advancing Nigeria’s internet ecosystem through creativity, local content, and technological impact.

Speaking on the awards, Mr. Adesola Akinsanya, president of NiRA, said they are part of the Association’s focus on promoting the .ng domain as a symbol of national pride and an enabler of digital transformation.

He said that Techeconomy’s recognition as NiRA Presidential Award for Best Supportive Media Partner “reiterates its relentless efforts in amplifying the importance of the .ng domain and supporting Nigeria’s tech sector”.

Speaking on the honour, Mr Peter Oluka, editor of Techeconomy, said: “This recognition affirms our steadfastness in driving Nigeria’s digital prospects through responsible and impactful journalism. We have always believed in the .ng domain as an important element of Nigeria’s digital identity, and this award inspires us to do even more.”

Organised annually by NiRA, the awards aim to spotlight the unlimited power of the .ng domain in areas such as e-commerce, fintech, education, media, and governance.

Winners were selected based on criteria including website relevance, functionality, user experience, and local content creation. Public votes accounted for 40% of the total score, with the remaining 60% determined by a distinguished judging panel.

Techeconomy’s Contributions to the .ng Domain Ecosystem

Techeconomy has consistently highlighted the strategic importance of the .ng domain in Nigeria’s growing digital economy.

During the NiRA Tech Convergence 1.0 Fireside Chat held earlier this year, Mr Oluka emphasised the .ng domain’s dual role as a branding tool and a representation of Nigeria’s identity in the global digital space.

“The .ng domain gives businesses and individuals a unique identity that points out their connection to Nigeria. It’s not just a technical tool; it’s a symbol of national pride and global competitiveness,” said Mr Oluka.

He also pointed to the branding and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) advantages of the .ng domain, stating that businesses using .ng are more visible within Nigeria while remaining accessible globally.

“For example, at Techeconomy, our traffic consistently comes not only from Nigeria but also from countries like the US, UK, South Africa, and Ghana. The .ng domain helps businesses attract both local and international attention,” he explained.

The Significance of the Award

The Best Supportive Media Partner award reaffirms Techeconomy’s indispensable role in promoting Nigeria’s internet space.

Through its thought leadership, the platform has empowered startups, SMEs, and established companies to leverage the benefits of the .ng domain.

Techeconomy has helped amplify the relevance of the .ng domain and encouraged digital adoption across sectors. The company’s focus on supporting the space deserves this recognition.

He said that Techeconomy will continually drive conversations around the adoption of the .ng domain and stimulate a resilient digital economy in Nigeria.

The platform encourages businesses and individuals to embrace the .ng domain, emphasising its affordability, local advantages, and global reach. For those interested in registering their own .ng domain, visit register.ngfor seamless onboarding into Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.