MTN Nigeria is about to redefine the meaning of partnership and with all we experienced on Thursday, October 8th, 2018, at the Landmark Event Centre at the MTN Partners Summit, they may just achieve that sooner than we expect.
One of the most popular sayings is “no man is an island”. This cuts across every sphere and field of human life and interaction. From the children playing the hide and seek games in Surulere, to the CFO on a conference call in Beijing, to the trader who deals in rice in Ebonyi – we need each other. It is as simple as it is potent.
To build on this, MTN has decided to create a symbiotic ecosystem of partners that benefits from the strong bonds and also causes the rippling effect of change in their various sectors. With the Nigerian enterprise telecommunication market estimated at 2billion dollars and growing at the commendable rate of 7% per annum, there is really no better sector to form lasting, productive partnerships.
During the launch event, Lynda Saint-Nwafor, the Chief Business Officer of the Enterprise Business Unit of the company, shared a case study on the changing world and how partnerships have evolutionized the rapidly moving society we live in. “We are here today because of you”, she insisted as she explained that the MTN Partnership system had been designed with the partner in mind. And as if to prove this, the event had on displays top tiered businesses that form some of those partnerships, such as Microsoft, Ericsson, Huawei, Co-creation Hub, etc.
Chief Solutions Architect, Huawei, an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), Yemi Joseph, shared the essence of partnership and how it has built the company over the years leading to breakthroughs and innovation. He explained that 76% of the company’s global revenue contributed by partnerships such as that with MTN NIgeria. This was the time that end-to-end solutions had become critical and he cited the example of working with MTN to create 4G connectivity for an oil and gas partner.
With digital reformation becoming a mega trend it has become apparent that partnerships require digital solutions and MTN Nigeria is through its partner ecosystem profferring these fixes. The age of disruption that we are in has made it imperative that strategic partnerships be sought – finding different sides of competence and bridging gaps to create a stronger, dependable and more efficient whole.
Lilian Odim, CEO, Audrey Pack Company explained the level of exposure that the company had received because of their partnership and how the partnership with MTN is helping fight against infant and maternal mortality across Nigeria.
“MTN is quite prepared to push the envelope”, Akin Braithwaite, Chief Customer Relations Officer, MTN Nigeria, enthused as he spoke on the benefits of the partnership. Pushing the envelope while building strong relationships is what will drive 2019 forward. MTN Nigeria may just be welcoming us into the future too.
