It was one of those rare moments of exclusive entertainment, fun,
excitement, dance and laughter for the hundreds of channel partners of
Airtel Nigeria and other dignitaries who had gathered into the
exquisitely decorated hall at the Eko Hotel & Suite, Victoria
Island.
The occasion, although packaged by leading telecommunications service
provider, Airtel Nigeria for its business partners, was not meant for
business discussions of any sort; it was designed to celebrate the
partners for their contributions to the growth of the business during
the past fiscal year.
Anchored by renowned Compere, IK of the Big
Brother Africa fame, the event began with a few opening remarks by the
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Airtel Nigeria, Mr.
Segun Ogunsanya, who aptly set the tone on what the night holds for all.
His
words,” Our esteemed Channel Partners have been busy all day in a
serious strategic session and we felt it would be proper for all of us
to spend the next few hours in a more relaxed atmosphere so that we can
interact, socialize and have fun.”
Nigeria’s hip-hop artist, Wande Cole’s performance was one of the high points of the night.
Serenading
from his latest single “The Kick”, the Mushin-born performer was a
delight to watch as he trotted the stage, combining musical and dancing
dexterity of a superstar – a move that ignited a delightful response
from the guests as most took to the dance floor.
The climax of his
performance came when the CEO of Airtel led other dignitaries including
some members of the company’s Executive Council and winner of the CEO’s
Award for Excellence, Unyime Idem to the stage.
The often miscued
steps and unbelievable dancing skills from most of the top shots which
draw rapturous applause from the guests, was a pure delight to watch.
The
Channel Partners were also treated to special performances by the House
of Dance troupe who added a cultural dimension and flavour to a
fun-filled evening.
The Airtel channel partners’ Conference is an
annual event put together by the telecoms operator to celebrate and
reward outstanding business performances as well as xcellence in trade.
The array of exotic prizes doled out to top performing partners ranged from the latest
editions of highly-sought-after Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) to top-rated business machines.
The
one day conference which attracted over 150 Channel Partners drawn from
across the country kicked off with a strategic session in the morning
and rounded off with a gala night.
Some of the special guests who graced the occasion were Mrs. Ibukun Awosika,
Founder
and Chairman of The Chair Centre Ltd, Prof. Pat Utomi, Founder of
Centre for Value in Leadership (CVL), Barr. Paul Usoro, SAN and board
member, Airtel Nigeria, and Rajan Swaroop, Former MD/CEO of Airtel
Nigeria.
However, while reading through comments from different websites and blogs to see who is/has being ‘winning’ so far in the above comparisons, I noticed that both artist’s girlfriends haven’t being compared! I searched but I couldn’t find anything! 
Mr. Mutah stated that the Information Ministry is stepping up
security on the web portal to prevent future attacks while liasing with
security agencies to investigate Thursday's security breach. He
admonished those seeking to impose gay rights in the country to legally
and constitutionally express their opinions as the Nigerian government
will not condone any violation of the law in the name of activism.
The occasion, although packaged by leading telecommunications service
provider, Airtel Nigeria for its business partners, was not meant for
business discussions of any sort; it was designed to celebrate the
partners for their contributions to the growth of the business during
the past fiscal year.
