The tournament, which opened on Thursday 30 October 2025, forms part of FiberOne’s Corporate Social Responsibility agenda to nurture the next generation of talent in digital infrastructure and technology. Eight schools qualified for the contest, including Wesley Girls’ Senior Secondary School and Onitolo Community Senior High School.

The event was conducted by The Leadership Consult, featuring Ayo Fagbuyi as the anchor and Dr. Sesan as the chief judge.

The format involved a school ballot to assign teams into blue or red groups. The rules were clearly defined, including specifications for units, decimals, and official announcements.

Teams answered randomly selected questions from subjects such as Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Geography, and General Knowledge.

Each question had a 45-second window to test analytical skills, with correct answers earning 10 points and extra points awarded at five and three points with discretion.

The semi-finals featured two matches: the first round was contested between Eletu Odibo Senior High School and Sanya Senior Grammar School, while the second round saw Wesley Girls Senior Secondary School face Onitolo Community Senior High School.

The event welcomed teachers, principals, and education administrative officers from across Lagos State, highlighting the importance of educational leadership and support at all levels.

The game master offered words of encouragement to schools that did not win, emphasising, “You didn’t lose but you learnt.” The Master of Ceremonies also gathered reactions from students and teachers about their experiences:

“My experience here has been educative even though I didn’t qualify for the semi-finals, but at least I learnt a lot,” said Sunday Esther of Senior High School

“It’s not just about winning, but trying your best and putting in all your efforts. We know that we have to go back and put in more effort,” said Joseph Murtala Animashun of Snr High Grammar School

A teacher shared, “We’ve always told them to value fair play and team spirit. If we lose, there’s always another day; we must return to the drawing board and prepare for the next competition.”

“My experience so far has been very educative. From this competition, I’ve gained knowledge I didn’t have before, especially in Chemistry and Physics,” Mohammed of Birrel Avenue Senior High School said.

Toyosi Oladeinde, head of Retention & Enterprise at FiberOne, noted, “It’s nice to see students showcase their talent and knowledge. I hope they came not only to win but also to learn and take away new knowledge.”

As anticipation mounted before the final round, the atmosphere was charged with excitement and friendly rivalry.

The decisive battle was set between Wesley Girls Secondary School and Sanya Senior Grammar School, both teams eager to prove their mettle.

In a spirited display of teamwork and determination, the competition featured a classic tug of war, symbolising the fierce yet respectful contest that lay ahead. This moment captured the collective enthusiasm and sportsmanship of the participants, setting the stage for an intense and memorable final round.

The final round was intensely competitive, with the score tied three times. Eletu Odibo Senior High School finished in third place, receiving a cash prize of 150,000 naira.

Sanya Senior High School secured second place with a prize of 350,000 naira, while Wesley Girls’ Secondary School emerged as the overall winner, awarded a cash prize of 450,000 naira.

In a post-competition interview, Kenny Joda, head of Regulatory and Public Relations at FiberOne, highlighted the initiative’s goals:

“As our CEO mentioned, this is part of giving back to society. We’re looking to create an ecosystem, nurturing children from early educational levels to tackle the shortage of professionals in the industry. This year, we launched the FiberOne Training Academy to address the lack of engineers capable of handling fibre optic technology, and we aim to support the digitalization of Nigeria’s economy and the Federal Government’s agenda.”

Reflecting on the event’s impact, Joda stated,

“The competitiveness you witnessed is exactly what we intended. It’s reminiscent of the Master Mind show from the late 80s. In today’s ecosystem, this kind of competition builds value, and we encourage other brands to follow suit.”

Looking ahead, Joda projected significant growth:

“Next year will be twenty times bigger. This is just the beginning of a test drive to see the benefits for parents and teachers. FiberOne is committed to innovation, and we plan to expand and elevate the event to a national level.”

Joda confirmed plans to broaden the initiative beyond Lagos:

“We started the pilot in Lagos to perfect the process, but we’re already expanding into Kwara State, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and five additional states.”

Onatoye Oluwakemi from the Co-curricular Science and Tech Department, representing TG & PS Education Division 4, expressed gratitude to FiberOne for providing a platform for students to compete globally.

She encouraged students to always be prepared, echoing the Boy Scout movement’s slogan, and applauded science teachers for their dedication, emphasizing that “science is life.” Of the 97 schools in District 4, eight were selected to participate, and she advocated for broader inclusion in future competitions.

At the event, Adeyinka Isioye, FiberOne’s chief experience officer, explained FiberOne’s mission, tying it directly to education.

He engaged students about the company’s role as an Internet Service Provider and stressed the need for skilled professionals to manage digital infrastructure.

Adeyinka shared insights into the FiberOne Training Academy (FOTA), a CSR project aimed at equipping young Nigerians with scarce fibre optic engineering skills.

He highlighted the importance of robust digital infrastructure for Nigeria’s digital economy, including advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics. Adeyinka assured students that even if they did not win this year, other opportunities would arise.

Looking forward, FiberOne has an upcoming programme called, FOTA 3.0, a programme designed to train participants in practical and technical skills necessary for careers as Fiber Optic Engineers.

According to the latest data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for Q4 2024, Starlink now has 65,564 active subscribers, overtaking FiberOne, which recorded 33,010 subscribers.

Since it entered the Nigerian market in early 2023, Starlink has been growing fast, offering high-speed satellite-based broadband to users in both urban and underserved rural areas. 

Unlike traditional ISPs reliant on fibre optics and wireless networks, Starlink’s low-Earth orbit satellite technology provides nationwide coverage, including remote locations where other providers struggle with connectivity issues.

Even with its premium pricing, Starlink’s user base more than doubled within a year, increasing from 23,897 subscribers in 2023 to 65,564 by the end of 2024. 

This surge points to the level of demand for high-speed, reliable connectivity, particularly in areas underserved by traditional ISPs. 

Starlink offers speeds of up to 250 Mbps, far outpacing the offerings of most local ISPs that rely on fibre optics and wireless networks.

Spectranet, which operates on fibre and terrestrial wireless networks, is Nigeria’s largest ISP with 105,441 subscribers, despite losing 8,428 users over the past year. 

Its subscriber base declined from 113,869 at the end of 2023 to 105,441 in Q3 2024, with no further changes in Q4. 

Unlike Starlink’s satellite-based model, Spectranet and other traditional ISPs must pay right-of-way fees, tower installations, and power infrastructure costs, making expansion slower and more expensive.

Other ISPs in Nigeria include Tizeti Networks, with 18,881 subscribers; ipNX Nigeria, serving 16,166 subscribers; and VDT Communications, catering to 6,307 subscribers.

Starlink’s success comes as consumer complaints about the poor internet quality provided by mobile network operators and ISPs are on the high side.

Unlike its competitors, Starlink expands its satellite network globally, improving speeds, reducing latency, and enhancing service reliability. As of February 2025, SpaceX had launched 8,039 Starlink satellites, with 7,082 still in orbit and 7,049 fully operational.

“As far as them (Starlink) being the second-largest ISP now, it makes sense,” said Ladi Okuneye, CEO of UniCloud, an ISP. “Satellite technology’s ubiquitous nature means you can connect a customer today in Ikoyi and another in Ikot Ekpene without being restricted by the geographical limitations of fibre or terrestrial wireless solutions.”

While MTN Nigeria is still at the top in the broadband space, the emergence of Starlink as the second-largest ISP shows a change in consumer preference, particularly for users seeking fast and reliable internet access without the infrastructure limitations of terrestrial networks.

In December 2024, Starlink announced a steep price hike, doubling its monthly subscription fee from ₦38,000 to ₦75,000 for new customers. Existing users were expected to transition to the new pricing by January 27, 2025. However, due to surging demand, Starlink put the tariff adjustment on hold.

This wasn’t the first time Starlink faced pricing challenges in Nigeria. In October 2024, the NCC blocked a previous attempt to raise tariffs, saying the company had not followed the proper regulatory procedures. 

The NCC later approved the hike on February 4, 2025, allowing telecom operators to adjust their prices. However, while MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, and Smile Communications have increased their prices, Starlink has yet to implement the increase.

Despite its growth, Starlink still faces limitations. Currently, subscribers can only use the service in a fixed location, which means mobile users cannot stay connected on the move. In 2024, Starlink began rolling out satellite-to-phone connectivity to eliminate mobile dead zones, but this service has not yet reached Africa.

The adoption of Starlink accentuates a growing demand for premium, high-speed internet services in Nigeria. While traditional ISPs continue to invest in expanding their fibre infrastructure, Starlink’s satellite model offers a flexible alternative, particularly in regions where fibre rollout is slow or economically unfeasible.

However, affordability is still a critical challenge—Starlink’s service, priced at over ₦400,000 for the hardware and a monthly subscription fee that could rise to ₦75,000, is way higher than traditional ISPs. This has limited its adoption to high-income users, businesses, and remote areas where alternatives are scarce.