From newsroom to spa centre, Nanna enlarges coast with MTN Cash Quest

BLESSING Nanna, a beauty therapist resident in Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja, is one of the lucky winners of a Kia Sportage SUV, in the on-going MTN Cash Quest Promo. Shortly after the prize presentation, she talks about her profession; family and how the prize she won would serve as a tool of empowerment to boost her business. 

AN incessant din resounds for hours, as the sun sets on the building draped in yellow colours of MTN, where a Kia Sportage SUV is being presented one of the lucky winners of the on-going MTN Cash Quest Promo, Blessing Nanna. The lady is seated on a high-backed chair, sipping the fruit drink in her front gently. Tears of joy cascaded her cheek, as she reeled the story of her life.

   “I’m an indigene of Plateau State and married,” she says. “I’m a beauty therapist – generally, I’m into massage, facials and hair-styling.”

   Her foray into beauty business was by chance, so to say. She studied mass communication in school, but after her internship, she decided not to practice. “I wanted to be my own boss, so, I attended a six month vocational course at the Women Vocational Centre in Abuja.”

   You wonder how she was able to acquire so much skill in six months? 

   “Well, in our six months of learning, two months were dedicated to theory and the other four months to practical. For me, I was too anxious to know more,” she chuckles. “Aside from the regular classwork, I also did my personal research. I visited spas to learn and acquire the skills required on the job. All these made my work easier, and now, my client base is growing by the day.”

    While growing up, did you have experiences that almost discouraged you from attaining your goals?

   “Hmmm, not really,” she breathes. However, she adds, “but you know, as you’re growing up, you gradually begin to worry, when you feel you want something, and the thing is not really coming your way when you needed it. I remember when I was a child; I always asked my mum, how I could get to be on TV – because I wanted to be a presenter. My mum said it would be challenging, but that I needed to study hard. After my secondary education, I decided to study mass communications. After my internship, I took to writing scripts, but I didn’t get the required fulfillment. I wanted my life to have meaning. I wanted to impact lives and needed to choose a profession that would enable me achieve that. I chose cosmetology and I have never regretted that decision.”

    You are the lucky winner of MTN Cash Quest’s Kia Sportage SUV. How did you get to know about the promo?

   “I received a message on my phone to participate, and I almost ignored it, because I felt couldn’t win so much by just participating with a paltry sum of N20. To me, the charge was too small, but I decided to give it a try, as I was feeling a little bit bored on that particular day. Sincerely, I wasn’t really playing it for the gift. I just needed something to while away time. I answered the first three questions, and the rest is history, as they say,” she smiles.

    And her immediate reaction when she received the phone call that she had won a car?

   “I first laughed. I laughed because it was just too difficult for me to believe. In fact, I later had to plead with the lady that called, to pardon me for being rude. I was like, could that be real? I told her to stop pulling my legs. I asked her to let me confirm from MTN office. She agreed and promised to call back the next day,” she says.

    Blessing was very reluctant to break the news to her family members when the lady called back the next day. “I still had some doubts about the whole thing,” she laughs.

   Asked how she will put the car into use, she has this to say:  “Of course, I will use it to promote my business. I’m already planning to brand the car in my business name. With this car, I am now fully empowered to do more to boost my business. Some of my clients find it difficult to come around, especially when they are very busy with domestic duties. With my car, I can now offer to do home services for such clients. This would also enhance my ability to go to the market to restock my business with working tools and materials. In all, I see myself becoming a much better person with this development. No doubt, this would also enhance my level of impact on my immediate family, friends, loved ones and the society as a whole.” 

   What is her advice to young people, who probably are still undecided about what they want to do and how to start?

   She muses, “one must acknowledge that looking at the state of country, the challenge of unemployment is real and even more worrisome is the thought of starting a business of your own. But, if I look back at how I started, and how I’m still learning in the process, I would say the most important thing that anyone needs to succeed either as an employee or employer of labour is to believe in yourself. You might have the best job in the world, you might have the greatest capital in the world to start a business, if you don’t believe in yourself, define your goals and stay focused on achieving them, it would be an exercise in futility.” 

   She adds, as her words dissolve into serious laughter, “to become anything in life, you must believe in yourself. The challenges will always be there one-way or the other. What stands anyone out of the crowd is not the number of challenges you face, but how you were able to face them and overcome. I believe in myself, I believe in what I am doing and believe I would continue to get better and better everyday.” 

    Her final word? 

   “This is just a great feeling. Honestly, I want to tell MTN ‘Thank you’. Seriously, this is one network that has continually enabled me to connect with my clients. It seems there are certain offerings that I can easily subscribe to either for business or family purpose and save money on either data or calls. For the past seven years, I have been using my line and I have not had any issues. Beyond that, I’m not the only winner in the promo. I saw smiles on the other winners’ faces as they were receiving their cheques – N1m or N10m – I can’t hold back my joy as I am still in shock about the whole thing. I really, really appreciate this life-changing gift. Initiatives like this give hope to the common man. God bless those behind this idea,” she says, as she prepares to catch her flight back to Abuja.