Telecom
Microsoft Lumia ‘Make It Happen’ Promo Delights Customers
In a bid to making this yuletide season a memorable one for its ever growing loyal customers, Microsoft Mobile Devices has made good its promise of rewarding customers who emerged winners in its in 12 Days of Christmas ‘Make It Happen’ Lumia Promotion.
The company redeemed its pledge to its winners on Wednesday, when it presented the keys to the first 3 winners who were emerged after a raffle draw, held at the company’s head office in Lagos.
The names of the three winners who emerged from the first draw are Mr. Chukwudi Anayo, from Onitsha; Mr. Dada Charles Adedayo- Festac, Lagos; Emem Sunday; Akwa-Ibom. All three who were visibly elated and could not contain their joy, were allowed to test- drive their latest edition, Ford Figo cars before eventually driving it home.
The promo which kick-started on November 24th would run till December 31st 2014 after which more winners will further emerge in more draws planned to happen in phases before eventually culminating in the final draw which will see the 12cars presented to the lucky winners on December 31st.
Olumide Balogun, senior product marketing manager, Microsoft Mobile Devices and Services, West Africa, while speaking during the presentation of the cars to the 3 winners of the first draw, said “we are very pleased to be redeeming our pledge just as we promised our loyal customers that we would do. This is just the beginning as we still have 6 more to give out to some more lucky winners who are destined to have a memorable Christmas that they would hold dearly for a long time to come”.
Balogun further said, “We are very happy to be empowering our consumers to do more, both with our Lumia range of devices at the same time, offering unrivalled experience that will afford them an opportunity to own brand new cars which you will agree improves their mobility and increases their ability to be more productive likewise work and play effectively.
He continued “Microsoft is very proud of its Lumia smartphones and tablets and how it has incredibly continued to connect more people to our suite of productivity services, whilst providing them a rich smartphone experience at amazing price points.
He further explained that “Everyone stands a chance of winning one of the 12 brand new Ford Figo cars on offer, according to him, all they need to do is go to any our retail outlets and purchase Lumia smartphones or tablets and SMS keyword LUMIA your NAME and IMEI number to 38680”
One of the lucky winners, Chukwudi Anayo, from Onitsha who was evidently overjoyed and could not hold back his excitement shared his story of disbelief when he was first called on the phone and told he emerged one of the winners in the Microsoft Lumia Christmas Promo.
According to Anayo, like any other person, “I initially thought I was dreaming before the whole thing finally dawned on me today, that indeed I am now a proud winner of this brand new car and at no other better time than this yuletide season.”
No doubt, great things happen to those who believe and I happen to be one of those presently, now more than anything my Christmas celebration has been made complete by Microsoft Mobile Devices and Services.
Also, speaking to Nigeria CommunicationsWeek, Mr. Emem Sunday said that the process has reawakened his interest to embrace such promos in future.
He said, “The promo has really opened my eyes. I never believed that things like this are really. I never thought of it that you can buy a phone of N15,000 and become a proud car owner! When I received the call I thought it was the normal scams. Not until Saturday, because they kept calling sending me text. In fact, they didn’t give up on me.
“From the onset, I didn’t take it to heart, but when I went to Microsoft Facebook page, I saw that I was the third person that won a brand new car. Then I believed that the promo is real. In fact, I am now a crusader for Lumia brand; advising people to buy and enter the promo which ends December 31, 2014. With less than N20,000 you can become a car owner like me”.
Mr Dada Charles was also full of praise to Microsoft for fulfilling her promise.
Charles said, “Brother, I just won a car! Actually, I have been using Nokia Lumia, but recently my phone got bad and I decided to buy another one, Lumia 630. The first time I sent a text to enter the promo. It didn’t go, but on third trial the message got delivered and today the result is that I now own Ford Figo car! In fact, I just gathered the change on me to buy almost the cheapest of the Lumia phone. I never believe it is real. In fact, my perception about promos has changed. And I am happy to see that officials of the lottery Commission are here too to witness the occasion”.
Also on the occasion, three more winners emerged, two among them are ladies.
Mr. Lilian Neribe described the promo as divine intervention, saying, “I had prayed to God that I need a car in this season and he has done it through Microsoft”!
As Africa and MENA’s startup ecosystems transition from post-correction resilience into a new phase of disciplined growth, the Africa Startup & VC Landscape Preview (ASVLP 2026) will convene leading founders, investors, policymakers, and ecosystem builders on January 29, 2026, for its second annual, agenda-setting virtual forum.
Following a challenging global venture cycle, 2025 marked a notable rebound across the African ecosystem, with startups raising an estimated $3.2–$3.3 billion over the full year.
The recovery was accompanied by significant structural shifts: Kenya emerged as the leading destination among Africa’s “Big Four” markets for the first time, while Nigeria recorded a year-on-year funding decline, reflecting changing investor preferences, macroeconomic pressures, and a broader recalibration toward capital efficiency and sustainability.
Sectorally, fintech remained the most funded vertical, while climate & energy, AI-enabled solutions, healthtech, and infrastructure-adjacent businesses gained increasing attention. Across Africa and MENA, development finance institutions (DFIs) and family offices played a more pronounced role in anchoring funds, deploying catalytic capital, and supporting blended-finance structures, reshaping how early-stage and growth capital is mobilized.
ASVLP 2026 is designed to translate these data points into forward-looking strategy.
The forum will bring together venture capitalists, angel investors, LPs, DFIs, family offices, founders, corporate leaders, and regulators from Africa, MENA, Europe, and North America to assess 2025 outcomes and chart priorities for 2026.
The program will feature keynotes, fireside chats, panels, and deep-dive roundtables, including discussions on:
· The 2026 Africa & MENA FinTech Landscape, focusing on security, profitability, regulation, and growth frontiers
· Emerging Fund Managers, capital formation, and LP alignment
· Talent, operator depth, and institutional capacity as constraints to scale
· Regulatory evolution and cross-border market integration
A major highlight of ASVLP 2026 will be the Final DealRoom Pitch Session, where a curated group of high-potential startups will present to an experienced panel of investors.
• Founders can apply to pitch via: bit.ly/ASVLP-DR-Founders
• Investors seeking DealRoom access can request entry via: bit.ly/ASVLP-DR-Investors
Confirmed speakers for ASVLP 2026 include Khaled Ismail (HIMangel), Idris Ayodeji Bello (LoftyInc Capital), Zachariah George (Launch Africa), Tosin Faniro-Dada (Breega), Selma Ribica (FirstCircle Capital), Maha Mandour (COREangels MEA), Joe Kinvi (Borderless), Remi Prunier (Orange Ventures MEA), Karima El Hakim (Plug and Play Tech Center), Souheil Guessoum (President, The Confederation of Citizen Employers – Algeria (CAPC)), Remi Prunier (Partner, Orange Ventures, MEA), Maha Mandour (COREAngels MEA), Ali Hussein (President, Kenyan FinTech Association), Patrick Okebu (CIO, Interswitch Group) among other leading voices shaping capital, policy, and innovation across the region.
“The conversation has shifted,” said Uche Aniche, Convener of ASVLP. “It’s no longer about whether capital will return to Africa and MENA, but what kind of capital, deployed with what discipline, and in service of which long-term outcomes. ASVLP exists to help the ecosystem make sense of that transition.”
Participation in ASVLP 2026 is free but strictly by invitation.
Interested participants are encouraged to repost the official announcement on LinkedIn and comment #ASVLP2026 to receive a private registration link. They could also email [email protected] and request invite.
Major social media giants Meta Platforms, TikTok and Alphabet’s YouTube will face a landmark jury trial this week in Los Angeles County Superior Court over allegations that their addictive designs have fuelled a youth mental health crisis, marking the first such case to reach this stage.
Social Media
The pivotal personal injury lawsuit centres on a 19-year-old Californian woman identified as K.G.M., who claims her childhood immersion in Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok—engineered with endless scrolls, autoplay videos, notifications and algorithms—sparked severe anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts.
Dozens of similar suits have surged since 2022 from families, schools and states, accusing the firms of burying internal research on teen harms while prioritising ad revenue through youth-targeted engagement hooks, despite Section 230 protections for user content.
Plaintiffs seek damages and design overhauls, arguing platforms bypassed parents and preyed on vulnerable kids; defendants counter there’s no clinical “social media addiction” diagnosis, no proven causation—kids with issues often use less—and they’ve added safeguards like parental controls and time limits.
Echoing Australia’s under-16 bans, the trial will scrutinise thousands of internal documents, expert testimonies and K.G.M.’s story, potentially expanding tech liability amid debates where studies show complex links, not direct causation, between screen time and disorders like eating issues or self-harm.
A win could mandate warning labels, age gates or algorithm tweaks, reshaping global platforms as U.S. Surgeon General advisories and global scrutiny intensify pressure on Big Tech to prioritise child safety over profits.
Meta is gearing up to trial paid subscription services on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, aiming to diversify revenue streams beyond advertising while maintaining free core access for all users.
Meta
The subscriptions will offer enhanced tools tailored for everyday users, creators, and businesses, including advanced content creation, sharing, and workflow features distinct from the existing Meta Verified verification program. Unlike a uniform rollout, Meta plans varied testing formats per app to match diverse audiences, experimenting with feature bundles based on user feedback to refine the model.
A key element involves integrating Manus, the autonomous agent firm Meta acquired for $2 billion in December, into these apps alongside its enterprise sales. Manus enables complex task automation with minimal input, with early signs like Instagram shortcuts already spotted by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi.
Video tools feature prominently: Meta’s Vibes short-form video generator in the Meta AI app shifts to freemium, where paid tiers unlock higher monthly creation limits beyond the free baseline. On Instagram, subscriptions could enable unlimited audience lists, non-follower tracking, and anonymous Story views, though specifics for Facebook and WhatsApp remain under wraps.
Drawing from Meta Verified’s 2023 launch—which provides badges, support, and protection mainly for creators—these broader plans target wider appeal amid industry shifts. Ad growth slows against TikTok competition, while Snapchat+ boasts 16 million subscribers at $3.99 monthly, proving demand for value-driven paid perks despite subscription fatigue risks from streaming and storage fees.
Meta will phase tests gradually, prioritizing feedback to shape long-term viability without alienating free users.
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