Tshabron Group is a conglomerate that has a number of companies including Tshabron Enterprises Ltd, Mec-Hally Ltd, JokeBoss Ltd and Optimum Voice. In this interview, Charles Okeke, CEO of Tshabron Group tells SABY ELEMBA how Tshabron became the first MTN franchise to meet MTN MoMo target of 1000 in the whole of Southeast and South-south, qualifying the Group to clinch the award for excellent performance and hard work. Excerpts:
Recently, MTN gave Tshabron Group, which you are the CEO, an award of excellence; may we know how it came about?
We have every reason to believe that in our chosen field, in our partnership with MTN, they said to whom much is given much is expected and the reward for hard work is more work. I guess that played out with us in our relationship with MTN. MTN has noted that Tshabron has done well as a good partner in the aspect of customer relations. And so other viable departments of MTN have been seeking our collaboration or partnership, the Sales and Distribution (S&D) that is midwifing the mobile financial services, then other important forthcoming departments or arm of MTN business franchise and mobile financial services. You know MTN is driving Mobile Franchise Services to meet with the Federal Government’s directive for the all-inclusive drive to make sure that every Nigerian is in the financial service. And so, MTN has been given the licence to drive that particular business.
What happened as a result of this?
As a result, MTN sought for partners that have already been established and very proven. They asked us within the MTN family and decided to choose key ones among us to partner in that particular financial services and Tshabron is one of them. So, at the last quarter of last year 2019, MTN immediately set up what they called ‘Strategic Financial Partners’ (SFP) appointed them and gave them a task.
Could you tell us the nature of the task or the involvement?
First of all, those appointed were all given different delineated territories and this is pan-Nigeria, the whole of Nigeria. There are more than 100 SFPs in Nigeria. So, we were all given an assignment and the task is the first to get 1000 agents within your zone- the North, the West and the East. The East is made up of Southeast and South-south; so, a challenge was given. To cut the long story short, Tshabron emerged the first, in the whole of East and we were given an award.
The unemployment rate in Imo State is high as some people say; can you tell us what Tshabron Group is doing to stem the ugly tide?
We have employed about 100 graduates and we are still employing. So, the reality is that, that particular task we are bringing in, every person that is using phone should go and get registered in this particular mobile financial service (MoMo); it is that activity that we are driving now. So, I want to use this opportunity to call on everybody to go and register in your area with mobile financial service that is being provided by MTN called MoMo. So, that is where the next transaction is going. Everybody should get involved in the MoMo transactions.
How would you let the public know how this MoMo works and the benefits if there are any?
When you are in MoMo, life becomes very easy for you. You can do your transactions, you can send money to your remote village because there is MoMo everywhere and MoMo agents are being created in every nook and cranny of Nigeria.
For example, if you are in Kaura Namoda in Zamfara State and you want to send money to somebody in Obizi in Ezinihitte Mbaise, you only need to dial one code and the money is transferred to the person in Obizi. It does not need ATM; it does not need bank account, it does not need POS.
So, because you have an agent in Obizi, the agent in Kaura Namoda identifies the agent in Obizi and sends a code. That person you are giving the money will take the code and show the agent that he has money to collect from you and the person will see and then match with the code that other person has and immediately he gives you the money.
Meanwhile, the person that sent the money did the same thing and handed the cash to the agent in Kaura Namoda. The agent in Kaura Namoda raising the code will now get the person that is in Obizi and the transfer is done. It is very, very simple; it makes life, very, very easy. So, MTN partnership is one that has a lot of advantages, and impacting very positively on Nigeria and on Nigerians. And this is the beginning, and a lot more of good things will come out of it.
