By Edozie Obasi-Eze

Five lucky winners have emerged in the just concluded Coca-Cola Nigeria ‘Believe and Win’ Under the Crown Promotion. The winners will have a unique and once-in-a-lifetime experience of an all-expense paid trip to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

It was gathered that this promotion builds on continued efforts to delight and refresh consumers across the country with rewards worth over N400m comprising instant airtime winnings across all mobile networks.

The five winners, according to a statement from CCNL, were selected from each region of the country – Lagos, West, East, Central, and North regions, through live draws in Lagos under the watchful eyes of officials of the National Lottery Regulatory Commissions (NLRC), and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), both of which applauded the company on its willingness to give back to consumers through football.

Congratulating the winners, Managing Director, Coca-Cola Nigeria, Alfred Olajide, urged them to make the most of the opportunity while enjoying the live action at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

The first winner unveiled was Salihu Usman Wavah, a trader from the North region. Reacting to his winning, the unassuming Salihu was overwhelmed with emotions, during his official unveiling at the Coca-Cola Nigeria Office in Lagos. He described his winning as an opportunity of a lifetime. He said that his initial thought when he was notified was the incredulity of the entire situation as it seemed unbelievable.

In his words; “I want to thank God for this opportunity, I feel elated and proud. I appreciate Coca-Cola for this great privilege. When I first received the call, I was pleasantly surprised but skeptical, however, I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt when the calls kept coming in from Coca-Cola. It’s been such a dream come true for me”.

The second winner under the promotion was Emordi Victor Olise, a final-year university student from the Central region, who decided to participate in the promotion with no particular expectation in mind. According to him, the promo initially became real to him when he received airtime after he dialed the code under the crown and subsequently, he could not contain his joy when he got the call from Coca-Cola during the live draw.

“When I got the first airtime, I said to myself that this is real, and I kept trying. Some days later, I received a call and was asked if I participated in the Coca-Cola Believe and Win Promo, I answered affirmatively. I was asked further questions and was thereafter confirmed to be a winner. I was very happy because I never thought that it was going to be so simple”, Emordi recounted.

The third winner, Emeka Philip Mordi, however, related a different experience. The businessman from the East region explained that he was grateful for the rare privilege. According to Mordi, his daughter encouraged him by religiously making the entries on his behalf through his preferred phone line. He maintained that his daughter had so much confidence in the promo and the company, Coca-Cola, that each time they shared a Coca-Cola beverage at home, she would tell him to dial the codes under the crown with his phone.

“My daughter consistently encouraged me to participate, saying, ‘Daddy you must go to Qatar’. A few days later, I got a call from an unknown number and was hesitant to answer but I picked up the call on the second ring. I was asked some questions, and to my utmost surprise, I was told that I had won a trip to Qatar”, he said amidst smiles.

The fourth winner was a young woman, Adefunke Ademokoya from the West region, who had decided to enter the promo for fun and the possibility of winning airtime. She indicated that she was not initially enthused about possible winnings as her family had dissuaded her from falling prey to scammers. However, her doubts were dispelled in the days that followed as she was pleasantly surprised to receive a call from Coca-Cola on her winning a trip to Qatar.

“This will be my first time traveling out of the country and I’m so glad that this is an all-expense paid trip. I’m sure that I’m going to have a lot of fun when I get to Qatar to watch the World Cup”, she excitedly remarked.

An enthusiastic Taiwo Olatunji was the fifth winner of an all-expense paid trip to Qatar under the ‘Belief and Win’ promo. He explained that one of his friends introduced the promo to him while they were enjoying a Coca-Cola beverage together. On his first attempt, he received airtime after dialing the code and this first winning provided the necessary inspiration to try again.

“The day I got a call from Coca-Cola would always be a day to remember as even my neighbors knew that something good had happened to me. I was very excited and I cannot wait to be in Qatar live. As a football enthusiast, I know that I’m going to have a wonderful time over there, all thanks to Coca-Cola and their amiable team”, he said passionately.

As official sponsors of the FIFA World Cup, the Coca-Cola Believe and Win Under the Crown promotion reflects Coca-Cola’s continued support for the football passion point across the country and a follow-up to other football-related activities as the 2022 FIFA World Cup games begin.