For the thousands of couples, friends and families who thronged the Silverbird Galleria in Lagos to mark this year’s edition of St. Valentine’s Day, the memory is one that may last a lifetime. It was a day on which they walked home with several attractive gifts courtesy of leading telecommunications operator, Airtel Nigeria, who mounted a memorable show for family, friends and lovers tagged Airtel Valentine Experience in partnership with the Silverbird Group.

The show was uniquely packaged to add colour to the lives of Airtel customers, friends and well-wishers in this season of love, in keeping with the company’s tradition of strengthening friendships and creating platforms for social networking.

Visitors and fun lovers at the Galleria were treated to classy entertainment featuring dancing, singing, deejaying and comedy as the event swung from one thrilling moment to another under the masterful handling of foremost comedian, Talk Talk, who anchored the show alongside Radio Presenter, Toke, with complementary vibes from DJ DPlus.

Speaking on the importance of the Valentine Experience, Chief Marketing Officer of Airtel Nigeria, Olu Akanmu, explained that the event was planned to offer a special atmosphere to people who wanted to show love to their loved ones to do so in a unique and memorable fashion.

His words: “Airtel is the network for friends and families because we bring friends and families together. Every day at Airtel is a day of love and sharing. This is why where ever you find love, you will find Airtel. Valentine’s Day is clearly one of such moments for us. We are glad to have been able to connect people to what and who make for their happiness, excitement, fun and fulfillment.”

Airtel also used the opportunity to educate customers and visitors to both the Silverbird Galleria in Victoria Island and the entertainment’s Cinema outfit at the Ikeja Mall, on its various service offerings and products.

The Airtel Valentine show also featured quiz segments that rewarded winners with a range of attractive prizes including smart phones, goodie bags, movie tickets, free BB subscriptions and recharge vouchers worth thousands of naira.

The event also featured dancing competitions for couples, male and female singles, stage performances by both the Heroes and the Young Heroes Dance Groups.

One of the participants, who won a smartphone, Anthony Odoh, could not hide his happiness. “I feel really excited about this. I actually was not expecting to get this much fun as I only came out to show my support for the show. The experience was worthwhile and I can’t wait for the next Valentine as I’m sure Airtel will even scale it up,” he said.

The high points of the night included a cameo appearance by Big Brother Africa anchor, Ike, Afro beat musician Black Magic whose rendition reminisced the days of the legendary Afrobeat King, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and prize presentations by Airtel Nigeria’s Chief Marketing Officer, Olu Akanmu who came in company of the company’s Director, Corporate Communications and CSR, Emeka Oparah and Ajay Bakshi, Director of Customer Service Delivery.

•Photo: Chief Marketing Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Olu Akanmu (r), presenting an Airtel goodies bag to a participant during the Airtel Valentine Experience.