By Odunewu Segun
9Mobile has expressed the delight to be part of a partnership involving Sterling bank and Solo Phones to introduce a contract smartphone pre-bundled with mobile plans to new and existing customers of the Bank.
The contract package allows the customer enjoy a very attractive monthly mobile bundle plan (Voice +SMS+ Data plan + Social media+ Recharge bonuses) in addition to a SOLO Aspire 4 smart mobile phone and the minimum period for the contract is twelve months.
Director of Enterprise Segment for 9Mobile, Mr. Plato Syrimis said the partnership will increase smartphone penetration and its benefits to Nigerians who ordinarily cannot afford to pay the lump sum that is required to acquire these devices.
Also speaking on the partnership, Executive Director Retail and Consumer Marketing, Sterling Bank Plc, Grama Narasimhan said the partnership reflects the bank’s commitment to delivering value to its customers.
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Chief Marketing of the Bank, Mr. Henry Bassey noted that this alliance with 9Mobile and Solo Phone is a testament of the bank’s commitment to ensuring that every Nigerian is availed the opportunity to own a smartphone with all its attendant benefits which include Insurance cover, 90 minutes of call time, SMS, Social plans & free 1.5GB data.
Although 9mobile, formerly Etisalat has been faced with serious financial crisis since 2013, which forced it to obtain the $1.2 billion loan from 13 local banks, despite its travails, investors still have confidence in the telecoms company.
However, the hopes of telecom giant getting new investors was dashed on January 12, 2018 when a federal high court sitting in Lagos nullified an ex parte order it granted in July 2017 which had given legal backing to the interim board set up by Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to manage the transition of the company formerly known as Etisalat following a debt crisis.