We’re Investing More In Data Services, Says MTN

The General Manager, Corporate Affairs, MTN, Funmi Onajide, says that a huge part of the company’s investment in the quality of service for 2015 will shift from voice to data and digital services.

She said this at the introduction of the company’s ‘BetterMe’ campaign with the unveiling of the ‘My2015BetterMe’ app and three 2015 ‘BetterMe’ bundle offerings for customers across all strata.

“In the past. the focus was on voice – that is the ability to connect people so that they could make phone calls. This industry has achieved that with well over 100 million active subscribers in Nigeria of which MTN has 60 million subscribers as of the end of 2014,” Onajide noted.

She, therefore, stated that the telecoms company had moved from Telco 1.5 to Telco 2.0, characterised by full-scale focus on data and digital services leveraging the power of the Internet.

“That is why we launched a thematic campaign called ‘Better Me’. The “Better Me’ campaign will show how ordinary Nigerians can use the power of the Internet to do extraordinary things in ways that make for a better life in all sorts of ways.

“As you know, Nigerians are very innovative and millions of people, especially our youths are already very familiar with the Internet.

“The ‘Better Me’ campaign will build on that and we will expose Nigerians from all walks of life to how they can use the Internet to do all sorts of things that are relevant to their peculiar circumstances and show them how various digital and data products and services can make their lives better,” she said.

She added that the product/service would introduce to Nigerians Internet content that they may not be aware of, for example, local content websites like pidgin-based websites, local language news and a variety of useful information, which should help people to see the positive value on the Internet.

When asked if the company was planning any reduction in the cost of its essential services, like the data and digital services, considering the prevailing economic crunch in the country, Onajide said competitive forces within the industry over the last three years had led to a sharp decline in tariffs across the industry.

She said, “In addition, MTN has a variety of bundled products that offer real value and competitive pricing. A few examples of such, which were recently launched late 2014 in different parts of the country, are MTN Shikena in the North; MTN Akanchawa in the South East; and MTN 777 targeted at the South West.”

Onajide said the telecoms company targeted products and services that addressed segments of the markets according to their purchasing power.

“In line with our brand philosophy, we have continued to deploy a variety of promos, sponsorships and Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives that afford Nigerians an opportunity to enrich their lives and open new opportunities,” she added.