The economic recession being experienced in the country today has been talked about from different views and angles in the last one year. Despite all our complains and several analysis, measures and counter measures it still bites hard and a call for deeper reflections on the private efforts so far to cushion the effects on the masses.

Today I wish to narrow my discuss parlance to a concept that came in few years ago and has suddenly being a talk of the town .Talk of the town; in terms of impact, functionality and purpose.

The Naija green card came with its trending tsunami impact, it received wide acceptance from the three parties involved .One would wonder what set of refined breeds and crops of financial experts are the brain behind the success story of this initiative.

This leads us into what exactly is a discount card and how it can help in this time of economic recession. A discount card is a card or document, often a plastic credit card or paper card that entitles the holder to discounts on the prices of some products or services. Cards may be issued as part of a loyalty program, offering discounts to existing customers to ensure their continuing custom; they may be offered free of charge, offering a modest discount with the intention of persuading purchasers to patronize participating shops; or they may be sold to members; offering larger discount for example the Naija green card offers certain percentage for discount at many business entities at a substantial annual cost.

I would say we Nigerians are blessed with such timeliness and ingenuity of purpose on arrival of the Naija discount card. It could best be described as the arrival of the chief priest at an annual festival. First, one would have wanted to compare its feasibility in this subterranean economic landscape of ours and describe it as unworkable that it can only work in a well structured economy.

But lo and behold, its take off was untypical, untypical; in the sense that most of their logistics had already been perfected before it was  launched  to the public domain, a well trained and crop of professionals had been recruited ,I will describe these set of Nigerians as concept midwives and terrain crackers.

In terms of functionality the naija green card has recorded success in its ‘TRINITY’ bases of functionality. The naija green card team, the potential clients or carriers of the card and the servicing ends (service providers) .

The amazing secrete of this team naija green card is how they make the synergy between this three parties work and strike a balance, this is why it has been reckoned with as a timely economic catalyst, it has been described as the recession antidote while some researchers call the naija green card the Wisemans option and identity.

Regardless of if you have used the cards before or not am sure you would have heard about  it, the approach of the operations of the naija green card keeps drawing third parties to a cross road going by the records of partnership that they engage in across the 36 states of the country. They are virtually into partnership in all strategic spheres of life making it a real economic roller coaster.

The network coverage of the naija green card covers food, beverage and restaurants service providers, travel and tour sector trail blazers, laundry and decoration, contemporary technology, fashion/hair and beauty, photography and video, health, sports and fitness, even into insurance and banking.

Going by this large scope one will agree with me that the naija green card midwives the economy on behalf the teaming populace especially in these trying times.

Impact-wise, going by the annual average of numbers of graduates as corp. members been churned out of our high institutions both private and public estimated to be over 250,000 nationwide into the mainstream of the labor market which are one of their major client niche is an annual and reoccurring cycle hence its impact of purpose has a safe landing especially with her numerous clients and partner agencies. This is kudos, a management concession to applaud the master craft and brain behind this lofty idea.

At times one would wonder if we had such resourceful talents, futuristic, astute business developers and empire builders despite the recession, and doing so good and fast expanding her tentacles. It also stuns a close observer how so soon the naija green card started and already giving back to the economy via other related concepts and still building youths and capacity .They have organized not limited to any part of the country essay competitions with huge rewards and a basis for motivation, they have beauty pageant and talent haunt contests and so on.

Bringing me to the point I started from. Naija green card ; An economic catalyst! Celebrating the brains behind it and appreciating the timely coming of the concept and economic innovation.

Akeem Ogunmilade (CNA)

Media consultant.