Funso Aina, senior manager, External Relations at MTN Nigeria, was honoured with the prestigious Outstanding Public Relations and Corporate Communications Personality of the Decade award at the 2025 EDGE Awards, in recognition of his enduring impact on Nigeria’s communications landscape.

The award celebrates over two decades of excellence in shaping narratives, building reputations, and influencing the evolution of public relations across journalism, cultural diplomacy, and corporate communications.

With nearly 30 years of experience, Aina is widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most accomplished communications professionals.

Before joining MTN Nigeria in 2009, he held senior editorial roles at Punch, The Nation, and The News magazine, earning international recognition including a fellowship with the Commonwealth Press Union in London and participation in the U.S. State Department’s International Visitors’ Programme.

His journalism career included serving as Chief Correspondent at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, and later as a member of Punch’s Editorial Board.

Aina also worked as the Communications Manager of British Council, UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations, leading strategic communications efforts that bridged global institutions with local audiences, mastering the art of cultural diplomacy.

He brought this depth of experience to MTN Nigeria, where he has become a central figure in perception management, stakeholder engagement, and business impact assessment.

Known for his strategic clarity and calm analytical approach, Aina is respected for his ability to distil complex issues into clear, actionable communication.

Reflecting on the honour, Aina said:

“This award wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the incredible exceptional team I am privileged to work with at MTN. I thank you all.”

His recognition came on a night of multiple wins for MTN Nigeria clinching 2025 Brand of the Year award, while colleagues Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, chief marketing officer, and Lakinbofa Goodluck, PR manager, also received top individual honours, underscoring the company’s leadership in marketing and communications.

For Aina, the award is not just a personal milestone but a testament to the evolution of the communications profession in Nigeria. His career reflects a belief that communications is not merely a support function, but a strategic driver of corporate credibility and national progress.

His work has helped elevate PR and corporate communications from messaging to strategy, shaping not only MTN Nigeria’s reputation but also the broader industry.

Among his many accolades are: Outstanding Achiever in Media Relations – Africa Digital Awards (2023); Innovator of the Year – SABRE Awards (2023), Frankfurt – the first African and Black recipient in the award’s history; Most Influential PR Practitioner in Nigeria – LaPRIGA Awards (2022); Best in Crisis Communications Management – LaPRIGA Awards (2021); and Best Communications Specialist (Telecoms) – BJAN Marketing Awards (2019), etc.

The ICT company received nominations at the awards for its services and innovations over the past year in categories including Company of the Year; Corporate Image; Corporate Social Responsibility and; Special Event/Sponsorship and CEO of the Year.

MTN’s growth is evident in its revenue which has doubled from N1 trillion in 2018 to N2 trillion at the end of the financial year in 2022 with its strongest growth achieved in 2021 and 2022 at 22.9 percent and 21.6 percent respectively.

In December 2021, MTN Nigeria became the first Nigerian company to make its public offer of 575 million sales in shares accessible to retail investors through a unique digital platform, Primary Offer. Similarly, the company partnered with the Nigerian government to rehabilitate the Enugu-Onitsha 110-kilometre expressway under the 10-year Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme (RITC).

In 2022, the company also launched the Media Innovation Programme in partnership with Pan-Atlantic University to upskill media practitioners in Nigeria.

These initiatives, with efficient public and private stakeholder engagement and communication support by Public Relations and Communications company BHM, culminated in MTN Nigeria and its leadership becoming recipients of the 2023 SABRE Africa Company of the Year and CEO of the Year certificates.

MTN Nigeria’s recent rebranding to a technological company offering a bouquet of digital services has attracted widespread commendation in recent times, and its excellent achievements in the technology space were also rewarded with its recognition as having a great Corporate Image.

The recognition was bolstered by the technology company’s successful acquisition of the 5G spectrum and the launch of the advanced 5G network in different parts of Nigeria in 2022. If properly harnessed, the 5G network is predicted to deliver $13.2 trillion in global economic value by 2035 and can generate 22.3 million jobs in the 5G global value chain alone within the same period. The advanced network has the potential to boost Nigeria’s socio-economic ecosystem, particularly by improving access to essential services such as finance, health, and education.

MTN was also recognised as an organisation with an impactful Corporate Social Responsibility for its innovative Y’ellopreneur, which is distinctive for its ambition to bridge the gender gap in Nigeria’s employment and entrepreneurship landscape. In its debut phase, at least 500 women entrepreneurs were able to build capacity, with 101 receiving funding worth N2 million for their respective businesses under the empowerment programme.

MTN’s contribution to the development of grassroots football in Nigeria and its partnership with the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) as the Official Communications Partner earned it a Certificate of Excellence in the Special Event/Sponsorship category.

Over the past two decades, MTN has demonstrated its commitment to elevating Nigeria’s standing in world football by collaborating with the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) and investing in various football camps and scholarship programs to develop young footballing talents in the country.

The most recent of such transformative programmes by the ICT company was the establishment of the NPFL/La Liga U-15 tournament in 2022 to identify and train the best young football talents in Nigeria.

In a related event, Funso Aina, MTN Nigeria’s senior manager, external relations, became the first African to win the “Innovator of the Year” award in the brands’ category at the 2023 SABRE IN2 Awards.

Speaking on the SABRE recognition, Tobechukwu Okigbo, Chief Corporate Services Officer, MTN Nigeria, said, “We are deeply honoured to have been recognised across multiple categories at the SABRE Africa awards. These accolades are a testament to the hard work and dedication of the team and the contributions of all our partners towards our success. At MTN, we remain committed to delivering innovative and impactful solutions that enhance the lives of communities where we operate. These certificates are a clear validation of our efforts and we will continue to strive towards excellence in all that we do.”

Effective PR and communication strategies are critical in driving brand awareness, facilitating partnerships, and expanding market share. Due to its increased adoption and its potential to impact brand growth, the global public relations market size is expected to grow to $133 billion in 2027 at a CAGR of 5.7%.

The 2023 SABRE Africa awards ceremony was held in Lusaka, Zambia, as part of the 2023 African Public Relations Association (APRA) Conference.

The annual event, organised by PRovoke Media, celebrates public relations and communication excellence in Africa, particularly in the areas of branding, reputation, and engagement.

Awarded since 2013, the SABRE IN2 awards recognise excellent work that highlights the expanding scope of the PR profession, from content creation to the evaluation process using data and analytics to inform, enhance and evaluate campaign successes across the globe.

Aina’s recognition was announced by Provoke Media on February 15, 2023.

The award was presented at the PRovoke EMEA Summit in Gesellschaftshaus Palmengarten Frankfurt, Germany on Thursday, March 23, 2023. 

CEO & Editor-in-chief, PRovoke Media, Arun Sudhaman said, “The media and communications industry is in the age of convergence, with every discipline demonstrating decent impressions to be most valuable to organisations and agencies. The innovation SABRE awards recognise groundbreaking campaigns- having factual data analysis and implemented with the use of technology for evaluation by industry leaders. The award category spotlights professionals in agencies and brands that empower and enable reputation excellence within their organisations.”

This innovation award is a testament to Funso’s trailblazing efforts in media relations, through MTN Nigeria’s Media Innovation Programme (MIP): a six-month certificate programme for Nigerian media practitioners to increase the knowledge and skill base of the participants, help them understand the changing media landscape and how to effectively use technology to create impactful media content in the country and Africa at large. 

During the study, 20 media practitioners from various media sectors engaged in capacity-building sessions to stir up their innovations and improve ways of practice to create sustainability in the industry.

This was apparent in their study trip to the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa, where the participants engaged in interactive sessions on creativity and innovation, explored opportunities in the media business and brainstormed on solutions to some of the challenges to successfully running media businesses in Africa.

Funso, a member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), and a corporate communication professional with over two decades of experience emerged top across Europe, the Middle East and the African region (EMEA). He was named ‘Most Influential Public relations professional in Nigeria’ by the industry regulator, NIPR in 2022.

Funso Aina says: “I am grateful for the recognition from SABRE and its dedication to acknowledging exceptional content produced by modern PR professionals. This award is inspiring for all of us at MTN; it emboldens our commitment to improving the media landscape and implementing our ‘Good Together’ initiative. I am convinced we still have feats to achieve in the industry, and with strategic thinking, we will cover even more grounds.”

Funso Aina has close to three decades of work experience in journalism, cultural diplomacy and telecommunications. He has various competencies and hands-on experience in public relations, corporate communications, media relations, public affairs and reputation and crisis management. He is a Fellow of the prestigious US State Department’s International Visitors Programme (IVP) and the British Commonwealth Press Union (CPU). 

Before joining MTN Nigeria in 2009, he was Communications Manager of the British Council, Chief Correspondent at Punch newspapers, Assistant Editor with The Nation newspapers and Senior Reporter with Independent Communications Network Limited (ICNL), publishers of The News, Tempo magazines and PM newspapers.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History (University of Ilorin, 1992) and a Master’s degree in International Relations (Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, 1998). 

The event which took place on Friday, December 2, 2022, at D’Podium Event Centre, Ikeja, Lagos, recognised over 20 honourees from public relations consultancies, public and private sector practitioners, stakeholders, and the media in various categories.

According to the organisers, MTN received the best brand in storytelling award for its group-wide ‘What Are We Doing Today’ rebrand campaign for its excellent deployment of editorial content, and partnerships with content creators and influencers to drive conversations that reached over 22 million people and delivered outstanding outputs and outcomes for the telecommunications firm.

Funso Aina, Senior Manager, External Relations, MTN Nigeria, who received NIPR’s Best in Crisis Management award last year, was also recognised as the Most Influential PR Professional for the year 2022 by the Lagos state chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).

MTN’s PR partner, BHM received four awards at  LaPRIGA’s 2022  awards ceremony: Best Supporter of PR, Agency of the Year, Rising PR Practitioner of the Year and PR Practitioner of the Year.

The awards were accorded in recognition of BHMs’ contributions towards scaling the growth and development of the industry by providing innovative solutions to further propel Africa for a more globalised approach to the practice of the public relations profession.

These awards are coming off the heels of MTN Nigeria and its consultancy’s 2022 Africa SABRE Awards for superior achievements in measurement and evaluation and stakeholder engagement for its public offer of ordinary shares to retail investors in December 2021.

The two projects, helmed by BHM, represented a period of improved government relations and financial growth for the company.

Commonly known as the Communications Industry Oscars, The LaPRIGA Awards is a prestigious high-profile event showcasing and recognizing excellence in public relations practice in the public and private sectors.

The event which took place on Friday, December 2, 2022, at D’Podium Event Centre, Ikeja, Lagos, recognised over 20 honourees from public relations consultancies, public and private sector practitioners, stakeholders, and the media in various categories.

This is Aina’s second significant NIPR recognition in two years. Just over a year ago, the bachelor of Arts graduate with over 26 years of work experience in journalism, cultural diplomacy and telecommunications was recognised and awarded as the Best in Crisis Management by the Lagos state chapter of the NIPR.

This year, Aina received the award for leading the execution of MTN’s Media Innovation Programme (MTN-MIP) in partnership with the School of Media & Communication, Pan-Atlantic University which saw 20 journalists equipped with digital media skills and travel to University of Wits in South Africa for capacity development.

Funso Aina who is a member of the NIPR, says he considers the award, coming from an industry regulator, a testament to MTN’s commitment to supporting developments in the Nigerian media space and enabling capacity-building initiatives to enable innovation in media practice. “I am grateful for the recognition and extend my appreciation to the Lagos Chapter of the NIPR for consistently organising the awards, and more importantly for promoting best practices in the industry.”

The seventh edition of LaPRIGA was organised by the Lagos state chapter of the NIPR. Commonly known as the Communications Industry Oscars, The LaPRIGA Awards is a prestigious high-profile event showcasing and recognizing excellence in public relations practice in the public and private sectors.

Chenosis will enable developers to tap into a broad spectrum of API products and services from across the continent, ranging from telecommunications, e-health, e-government, IoT, fintech, e-commerce, identity and authentication, payments and collections, location and more, from a single marketplace.

Mr. Chika Ekeji, the Chief ​​Strategy and Transformation of Officer, reiterated the Ambition 2025, saying the technology company wants to become Africa’s number one API gateway for fintechs, banks and business and Network as a service (NaaS) platform by the year 2025.

Ekeji stated this in a presentation made to MTN Media Innovation Programme (MTN-MIP Fellows) who visited the company’s headquarters in Fairlands, Johannesburg, South Africa as part of their study trip to University of Witswatersrand and MTN Group, titled Ambition 2025: Leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress.

The MTN Chenosis Marketplace allows businesses and developers to publish their APIs so that other developers can discover and consume them.

He hinted that the marketplace also provides the tools for publishers to monetise and promote their APIs, by creating subscription plans and product bundles that developers and businesses can purchase.

The Chenosis Marketplace portal has dashboards for publishers and consumers to track revenue and credit balances, view consumption analytics and API performance and lots more.

The power of the platform will be in the creation of mashup APIs which will connect cross-industry APIs and facilitate innovation and the ability to build new services and new business models.

Mashups are new product and service orchestrations created by developers from two or more existing APIs.

The Chenosis Marketplace became open to the public from 10th August 2020 and developers have started by exploring the Marketplace.

MTN as Africa’s leading mobile network operator has invested heavily in infrastructure across its operations and plans to become the leading player in the fintech solutions (Momo), digital finance (Ayoba), enterprise services, network as a service (NaaS) and API marketplace (Chenosis) spaces over the next three years.

Ekeji said that MTN, on its platform business, intends to connect 100 million mobile money (MoMo) users, 100 million Ayoba users, $0.5 billion enterprise service revenue, become number one Africa’s NaaS platform and API gateway respectively.

On connectivity, “We intend to have 300 million total mobile users, 200 million mobile data users, 10 million home broadband users and $0.5 billion fiber investment. On the financial side, intend to achieve 15 per cent revenue growth par annum, 25 per cent of revenue from platform, Rand 6 billion cost savings and 40 per cent EBITDA margin.

“Rand 25 billion ARP proceeds, 1.0x holdco leverage, $2 billion capital expenditure per annum maintained and 20 per cent return on equity (ROE),” he said. This strategy is anchored on building the largest and most valuable platform business with a clear focus on Africa.

The strategic priorities include: Build the largest and most valuable platforms, Drive industry-leading connectivity operations, Create shred value and Accelerate portfolio transformation. This rests on a scale connectivity and infrastructure business – mobile and fixed access networks in the consumer, enterprise and wholesale segments.

The enablers include making technology second to none, leading customer experience, harnessing best talent, culture and future skills, value-based capital allocation and environment, sustainability and governance (ESG) at the core.

The young Nigerian who is leading MTN’s transformation agenda said MTN Group’s strategic intent is to lead digital solutions for Africa’s progress with the belief that everybody deserves the benefits of a modern connected life through its network connectivity which is the largest Africa.

“We are accelerating implementation through partnerships. Our strategy is supported and funded through enhanced cost and capex efficiencies. It is focused on four strategic priorities and five vital enablers.

The list was released by GLG Communications in partnership with The Guardian following the unanimous decision of an independent judging panel.

The first-of-its-kind guide was created to honour outstanding PR professionals in Nigeria and to mark World PR Day, celebrated annually on July 16 across the globe.

The PR Power List acknowledged individuals who beyond securing column inches and primetime interviews, have engaged influential voices to stay ahead of the curve in brand perception and narratives, deftly managed crises, and reputations, and created stories that have changed minds and shaped narratives in Nigeria.

Aina was recognised in the change makers’ category, which identified experts, agency founders, C-Suite executives and leaders who have become known as some of the hottest and most respected names in the Nigerian PR Industry.

Responding to the award, Aina said: “I am pleased to have been included in GLG Communications’ inaugural annual PR Power List celebrating outstanding PR professionals in Nigeria to mark World PR Day, held globally on July 16”. 

“I am honoured to have been listed among other inspiring PR and communications professionals in Nigeria. I remain committed to displaying excellence in my work to elevate the perception of our noble profession”, he said.

Funso Aina is a public relations and corporate communications professional with over 24 years of multi-sectoral experience in telecommunications, cultural diplomacy, and journalism.

An in-depth thinker with excellent organisational abilities, he understands the complexities of public relations and targeted communications for achieving desired business results and organisational efficiency.

A highly motivated and very productive PR practitioner, Funso Aina is passionate about adding value through bespoke communication and effective stakeholder management which demonstrably contribute to the attainment of set corporate goals and performance.

About eight months ago, he won the award for “Best in Crisis Management” at the sixth edition of the Lagos state PR Industry Gala and Award (LaPRIGA).

At MTN Nigeria, he is responsible for leading strategy and driving targeted engagement with the company’s critical stakeholders.

See full list of PR Power List 2022 Here.