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Celtel to Zain, Unification Rebranding

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The recent rebranding of Celtel Nigeria to Zain may be viewed by many as one too many having changed name about four times. The company began operation as operator of Global System of Mobile communication in 2002 as Econet thereafter changed its brand name to Vodacom when Vodacom bought into then Econet. This was short lived as Vodacom pulled out of the acquisition contractual agreement thereby living the company in the hands of Nigerian investors that are not financially strong to provide the required finance to compete with the likes of MTN and Glo. As an interim arrangement, the company hurriedly changed its name to Vmobile while sorting for core investor. Vee networks the company incorporated name entered into acquisition talk with Celtel Africa the African operation of then MTC the parent company of Celtel Africa. The outcome of the talk was acquisition of majority stake in Vee Networks resulting in the rebranding of Vmobile to Celtel.

Celtel International was not originally owned by MTC group, it acquired 85% of equity in the then leader is cellular operation in sub-Saharan Africa in 2005. Under the terms of the agreement, MTC acquired 85% of the issued equity with commitment to purchase the remaining 15% of the shares in two years, which happened last year making the whole deal worth $3.4 billion.

MTC’s acquisition of Celtel has helped it achieved a big part of its ambitious vision of becoming a global cellular operator, opened up many promising markets and secured leadership for MTC in sub-Sahara telecom market.

“MTC has built on Celtel’s expertise in sub-Sahara markets to continue its expansion plan in emerging Africa market,” said Dr. Sa’ad Al-Barrak, chief executive officer MTC group.

It is pertinent to note that, the underlining cause of these rebranding to Celtel was as a result of change of ownership, which distinguished the recent rebranding from Celtel to Zain. The recent rebranding is precipitated by the desire of the parent company then MTC of Kuwait to change its name to Zain in September 2007; this led to Middle East operations of the company changing its name to Zain while African operations still retained Celtel.

Owners of the telecommunication giant felt that there is need to unify its brand required for harmonious operation, and good quality of service that led to rebranding of all Zain operations in Africa to Zain which as well affected its Nigeria operation.

To some industry watches the rebranding of Celtel to Zain is a good opportunity for the company to change the battered image of GSM operators, if it will match it with actions by improving on its quality of service.

Presently, GSM operators are facing with quality of service issues where many are expecting that the new entrant Etisalat will do the magic by offering them better quality of service. The rebranding and trading with a new name will make most uninformed people to believe that it is a new GSM operator. For instance, this writer had an encounter with some people who were in a hot argument about the emergence of another GSM operator with the name Zain, they are five in number three are arguing that Zain is a new GSM operator that president Yar’adua brought from Arab country to change the face of GSM that is saddle with poor quality of service while the other two more informed, argued in the opposite that it is Celtel that has changed its name to Zain. It took this write a lot of explanation to convince these three gentle men that it is their own Celtel Nigeria that is now Zain Nigeria. This could give the company a good face in view of the public perception about GSM operators in the country.

To mark the launch of its new colourful identity across Africa, Zain also announced the creation of the world’s first cross-continental borderless network, extending and linking its ‘One Network’ service between Africa and the Middle East. The service will be available to 500 million people stretching from the west coast of Africa to the Middle East, covering an area larger than the United States of America. One Network allows Zain customers affordable cross-border communications, helping friends and families stay connected.

According to Al-Barrak, ‘this truly is a defining moment in the history of global telecommunications. The connecting of One Network across two continents demonstrates how under one brand, Zain is able to offer enhanced mobile telephony services. Going forward it will now be easier and more affordable for people to keep in touch and support cross-continent trade and enterprise. This is the essence of the Zain brand promise to create ‘A wonderful world’.

This allows all Zain customers (pre-paid and post-paid) in Africa and the Middle East using ‘One Network’ to enjoy the benefits of being treated as a ‘local’ customer wherever they are. Customers can make calls and send messages at local rates when communicating with a travelling Zain customer who will receive incoming calls free-of-charge and be able to make calls back home at local rates. Pre-paid customers can also top up their phones with recharge cards bought from either their home country or more than one million outlets available in one of the 15 One Network countries. The One Network service is automatically activated upon crossing the geographical border into one of the countries, with no prior registration required or sign-up fee.

Zain is a leading emerging markets player in the field of telecommunications aiming to become one of the top ten mobile groups in the world by 2011.

 Zain was established in 1983 in Kuwait as the region’s first mobile operator and was known as MTC until September 2007. From modest beginnings in Kuwait, the company now has more than 16,000 employees serving over 50 million customers in 15 African and seven Middle Eastern countries including Ghana and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where the company will launch its mobile telecommunications networks in the coming months.

Since 2003, it has grown significantly becoming the 4th largest telecommunications company in the world in terms of geographic presence with a footprint in 22 countries spread across the Middle East and Africa.

In Africa, Zain now operates in 15 sub-Saharan African countries namely: Ghana, Burkina Faso, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of the Congo. Others are Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Madagascar, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. The company’s mobile telecommunications operations in Ghana will begin this year.

In the Middle East, Zain operates in: Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Sudan and soon the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In Lebanon the company manages the network on behalf of the Lebanese government and operates as MTC-touch.

Zain is renowned for its pioneering role in bringing technical innovations and modern telecommunication services to the markets it serves. For instance, the launch of its ‘One Network’ service in September 2006 offering Zain customers’ affordable and effective cross-border communications was a world first. Zain also launched the world’s first nationwide 3G and WiMAX network in Bahrain. The company plans to role out modern technologies to its African and Middle East operations where the need and demand arises.

It promised to continue to pioneer ‘One Network’, the world’s first borderless network, which has already broken new ground as it is now available for the first time across two continents – Africa and the Middle East.

Corporate Social Responsibility continues to be high on Zain’s agenda, given its historic role in supporting the communities it serves. Zain is committed to helping to open up an exciting world of new possibilities and opportunities, in culture, health and education, and acting responsibly in the communities where it operates. Zain has pioneered a range of education-based initiatives across Africa and is partnering with governments and communities to help them achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals. For example, in the last one year, Zain has donated millions of dollars worth of books and educational supplies to government-owned schools in Africa. The company recently partnered international establishments in bringing telephony to 400,000 people in remote areas of Africa and has many community projects across both continents.

The Zain brand is wholly owned by Mobile Telecommunications Company KSC, which is listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange (Stock ticker: ZAIN). The company had a market capitalization of US$ 25 billion on 30 June 2008. Financial results for H1 2008 are available on www.zain.com.

 

 

 


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MTN Nigeria Rewards 1,500+ Winners with ₦290m in Mega Billion Promo

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L-R: Deji Roberts, Assistant Director, Nigerian Communications Commission, Lagos Zonal Office; Ugonwa Nwoye, Chief Customer Relations and Experience Officer, MTN Nigeria; Femi Yusuf, 10 Million MTN Mega Billion Promo Jackpot Winner; Efe Kwado, MTN Mega Billion Promo Winner; Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria and Samuel Rowland, Chief Operations Officer, Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority at the MTN Mega Billion Promo Media Parley held on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at the MTN Rooftop Events Centre Plaza, Ikoyi.
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Telecoms giant, MTN Nigeria, has announced the disbursement of over ₦290 million to more than 1,500 winners in its ongoing Mega Billion Promo.

L-R: Deji Roberts, Assistant Director, Nigerian Communications Commission, Lagos Zonal Office; Ugonwa Nwoye, Chief Customer Relations and Experience Officer, MTN Nigeria; Femi Yusuf, 10 Million MTN Mega Billion Promo Jackpot Winner; Efe Kwado, MTN Mega Billion Promo Winner; Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria and Samuel Rowland, Chief Operations Officer, Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority at the MTN Mega Billion Promo Media Parley held on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at the MTN Rooftop Events Centre Plaza, Ikoyi.

The update was shared during a live event held on July 19 at the company’s Rooftop Events Centre in Lagos. Representatives from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority, MTN executives, journalists and selected promo winners were in attendance.

Speaking at the event, Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, MTN’s Chief Marketing Officer, stated that the initiative was launched to support loyal customers during difficult times. “In the last couple of years, it’s been a tough time for the average Nigerian. This promo is one of our ways of making life better for our customers,” she said.

Ikenna-Emeka revealed that the promo has produced over 1,500 winners, including three jackpot winners, 20 winners of ₦5 million each, and more than 100 winners of ₦100,000. She added that the company remains committed to rewarding customers transparently.

One of the jackpot winners, Femi Yusuf, who won ₦10 million, shared his excitement. “I thought it was one of those promos where nothing comes out of it. My wife was the one who spotted my number during the live draw,” he said. When asked about the delivery of his prize, he replied, “Fast and fast. MTN, no scam.”

The event also featured live calls to new winners, including a woman identified as Motunrayo, who won ₦2 million. She expressed joy over the unexpected win, saying, “I’m so grateful. Thanks so much.”

Debo Agun, Senior Manager, Consumer Segment (Mass Market), explained the mechanics of the promo. He said participation is free and open to MTN subscribers who dial *900# to opt in. Airtime purchases serve as entries—₦100 worth of airtime equals one entry, and customers can win multiple times.

Agun stated that 63 winners are selected daily from Monday to Friday, while Saturdays feature 104 winners, including a ₦10 million jackpot. Other prizes range from ₦25,000 to ₦2 million and are paid into customers’ MoMo wallets. Those without wallets can create one by dialing *671#.

Promo draws are conducted and streamed live on MTN’s Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook channels. Independent partners oversee the process to maintain credibility and fairness.

The promo began on June 23 and runs for 90 days.


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MTN, MTV Base Launch “Room of Safety” Series to Promote Online Child Safety

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Telecoms giant MTN Group has partnered with MTV Base to launch the Room of Safety campaign, a youth-led movement aimed at raising awareness on internet safety and digital wellbeing for children and young people across Africa.

The initiative, a major part of MTN’s Help Children Be Children campaign, seeks to address growing concerns around cyberbullying, grooming, misinformation, and other forms of online harm. Through this collaboration, MTN will leverage MTV Base’s extensive reach across youth audiences to drive impactful change.

Central to the campaign is the premiere of a 10-part short-form docu-series titled Room of Safety, which kicks off on July 20, 2025, at 16:00 on MTV Base (DStv channel 322). Episodes will also stream on MTV Base South’s digital platforms including Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.

Each episode will feature real-life stories, expert interviews, and practical resources to help young viewers identify digital threats and take proactive steps. The series also encourages youth to speak up about negative experiences online and shows them how to report abuse.

A statement from MTN Group emphasized the importance of equipping young Africans with the knowledge and confidence to navigate digital spaces safely, adding that the campaign aims to normalize conversations around digital ethics and mental health within families, schools and peer groups.

The launch is backed by social media engagement and outreach activities targeted at schools, creators, and community organizations across multiple African countries.


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MENXTT Tech NG Debuts USA-Spec Devices and Redefines IT Retail in Nigeria

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MENXTT Technology NG has introduced a fresh lineup of USA-specification smartphones alongside its existing range of laptops, accessories, and software tools in a major move to redefine tech quality and customer satisfaction in Nigeria.

The firm, which operates as a fully online IT service provider, is focused on bridging the gap between businesses and customers by offering seamless tech procurement, deployment, and after-sales support.

According to Anthony Emeka Nwosu, Director of Communication and Customer Retention, the company is committed to restoring consumer trust in tech purchases through guaranteed quality, extended warranties, and structured support.

Nwosu stated that the decision to supply USA-grade devices was borne out of frustration with substandard options in the market and zero accountability.

He said MENXTT was built to be responsive, dependable, and quality-driven, assuring customers that they would not be left alone after purchase.

With services covering laptops, accessories, website development, software deployment, and IT support, MENXTT promises to take technology directly to the client with less stress.

The company, located at 8a Oje Imeviani Street, Julie Estate, Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos, is also noted for its tech-enabled structure that allows users to access solutions from anywhere in Nigeria through its online platform.

Customers can reach MENXTT Technology NG via email: info@menxtt.com.ng or website: menxtt.ng.


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