Etisalat Nigeria, the latest entrant into Nigeria’s vibrant mobile phone market, has formally announced the launch of its operations with a dynamic subscriber promotion which seeks to empower Nigerians with free personalized numbers, free SIM cards and free monthly airtime for life.

Tagged 0809uchoose (08098246673), Etisalat’s offering is a free 3-in-1 package which has at its core the company’s desire to give the customer the best quality at the best price regime ever.

Speaking at a media event to demonstrate its business readiness, Etisalat Nigeria’s Vice President, Marketing, Wael Ammar, said its Dial a Reservation campaign or 0809uchoose concept is the final leg of its business entry plan as it purports to allow at least 1 million Nigerians customize their phone numbers to reflect numbers special to them.

“Etisalat is offering every Nigerian an opportunity to be special, to stand out, to have their phone numbers mean more to them than just a random set of numbers. That is the reason for this campaign. There are 1 million numbers available in the range (0809 8 000 000 and 0809 8 999 999) for this initial promotion so we urge Nigerians to go out and get their special unique numbers while they are still available,” Wael said.

He went on to explain that Etisalat customers in Nigeria can expect the best in world class service in the best tradition of Etisalat Group which serves 64 million subscribers in 15 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Yinka Akande, Director Brands and Communications of Etisalat Nigeria spoke about the 0809uchoose campaign at the event as well. He said that Etisalat is set to raise the bar of quality service a notch higher in Nigeria. “Consider that we are offering one million lines to Nigerians to reserve for free. These are numbers that are normally classed as premium numbers and cost a lot of money to own. Not only do our customers get the number for free, they also get the SIM card for free. On top of all of that, they then get free airtime on a monthly basis for the rest of their life. That is a fantastic offer if I’ve ever seen one. We are surely set to change the face of the Nigerian telecoms market”, Akande enthused.

0809uchoose gives interested Nigerians and subscribers of existing mobile networks an opportunity to choose any of the one million lines available within the 0809 8 000 000 – 0809 8 999 999 range. The numbers are free and so are the SIM cards. Subscribers who reserve any of the 1 million numbers available will also get free airtime every month for the rest of their lives.

Also at the event, the company announced that it would begin to offer commercial service on its network in 6 cities across Nigeria simultaneously. These cities are Lagos, Ibadan, Abuja, Kano, Port–Harcourt and Kaduna. Roll out in other parts of Nigeria will follow shortly after. Yinka Akande explained that Etisalat’s commitment to building the best and most modern network in every market it operates in is very important to it hence the roll out being planned. This will enable it provide the best customer experience to customers on its network.

According to him, customers who reserve special numbers in the 0809uchoose campaign will be able to pick up their numbers from special redemption centres in the different cities where the network rolls out its services as soon as the Dial a Reservation campaign ends in three weeks time.

To reserve a special 0809 number, subscribers have the option of either calling 0809uchoose (0809 824 6673) or making their reservation via the internet by logging on to www.etisalat.com.ng/uchoose. Customers can also reserve their numbers by visiting any of the mobile Etisalat Road Show rigs nearest to them during the ongoing Dial a Reservation Road Show. All reserved numbers will be valid for activation at the end of the three week promo. 

Etisalat, recently ranked as the fastest growing telecommunications company in the world, is based in the UAE and is reputed for providing world-class telecommunications services to 64 million subscribers in the 15 countries it presently operates in. As it gets set to launch commercial services in Nigeria, its network, which has already been integrated with value added services, will provide unparalleled quality service to its customers in Nigeria.