Date Published: 03/28/10

Five Nigerians wake up Millionaires in Zain’s Offer 1st draw

Lagos, Nigeria; March 26, 2010: Five lucky Nigerians woke up millionaires yesterday as leading mobile Operator, Zain Nigeria, held the first Draw for its ongoing marketing initiative, “Wake Up A Millionaire”.

The maiden draw of the company’s latest marketing initiative was held at Zain’s corporate head office in Lagos and was witnessed by the media, renowned Systems, Processes and Applications auditing firm, TC-QA Associates, senior officials of the mobile firm and several other people.

The five lucky customers of Zain who emerged winners were selected through a highly secured and trusted electronic draw system which was vetted and approved by TC-QA Associates before the draw.

Each of the winners will receive a whooping N2, 000,000.00 (two million naira) cash prize, according to the Marketing Director of Zain, Moustafa Younes.

For the winners it was a period of pure ecstasy, delight, and a feeling of overpowering joy and rapture as their initial disbelief and confusion gave way to jubilant celebration and praise when they were told on the phone that they have just been elevated into the millionaire rank.

Some of the winners who responded to the calls made to them at the ceremony included Chinoso Maduekwe, a Maiduguri based trader, Olawaseun Okunola of Honeywell Group, Salihu Abdullahi of the Nigerian Immigration Service and Justice Omoruyi, a Human Resource personnel.

Chinoso Maduekwe’s momentary hesitation and skepticism quickly melted into screams of joy and praise to God when the marketing Director repeated to him that he has just won N2,000,000.00 in the Zain’s Wake Up A Millionaire programme. “Do you mean I have won the Wake Up A Millionaire draw? I don’t believe you! Can this be true? Tell me it is true. Thank you, thank God, oh I have won. Thank God”, he said as he went about celebrating his success in the draw.

Another winner, Justice Omoruyi shrieked in excitement “Did you just say I have won N2,000,000.00? Am I dreaming? It seems I am dreaming. I am happy; I can’t describe the extent of my joy right now. This is unbelievable”.

Zain’s ‘Wake Up a Millionaire’, is an interactive and rewarding SMS Service which provides customers of the mobile operator the chance to become a millionaire daily. Zain has set the target of elevating over 100 Nigerians into the millionaire rank as well as reward many others with laptops, mobile phones, and generators, amongst other prizes through the marketing initiative.

Zain ’s Marketing Director said that winners would be selected daily and monthly throughout the duration of the offer, adding that Nigerians have 130days to climb up to ride on the marketing initiative to become a millionaire.

Winners in the Daily Draw will receive N2, 000,000.00 each while winners in the Monthly Draw will be rewarded with N10, 000,000.00.

To participate in the programme, Nigerians are expected to send to send the word ‘WIN’ via SMS to the short code, ‘222’.

After the draw in Lagos, Younes then thanked Nigerians for embracing the marketing programme, stressing that the height of interest in Wake Up A Millionaire is a reflection of the high level of customers confidence and trust in Zain.

Also, he said the emergence of the first batch of multi-millionaires is clear proof of Zain’s dedication to fulfilling its promise to empower Nigerians and help them enjoy “a Wonderful World” in line with the company’s brand promise

Furthermore, Younes warned participants in the offer and the general public to be weary of fraudsters who might take advantage of the announcement of winners to dupe unsuspecting people, urging them not to disclose their bank details and ATM PIN numbers to anyone or entertain questions via SMS, phone call, or email from anyone wants them to provide such information before they can collect their winnings.

Zain has set aside prizes worth over N230 million to be won by Nigerians in the offer from March 17 to June 24 2010.