On February 1, 2023, MTN Nigeria announced Kate Ene David as its CEO for a day following her emergence as the winner of the 2022 MTN mPulse Spelling Bee out of over 11,000 participants who registered for the competition. 11,000! Yes, you just read that.

Kate, an inspiring 14-year-old student from Intimacy with Christ Secondary School, Mararaba, Nasarawa State, assumed leadership of Africa’s largest telecommunication network at 9am on Wednesday.

From our CEO for a day, Ene Kate David to you, welcome to the month of love and happy new month! #MTNmPulseSpellingBee pic.twitter.com/p1VwS5k9Mh

— MTN Nigeria (@MTNNG) February 1, 2023

In his symbolic handover, Karl Toriola applauded Kate’s brilliance while reiterating the purpose of the initiative, “It has always been our brand commitment to support the government and educational institutions in producing students that are primed for global competitiveness. With that in mind, I am confident that our CEO for a day is on the path to a great future. We are happy to be a part of what promises to be an extraordinary journey.”

In her capacity as the CEO, Kate has met with MTN’s executives, and members of the media where she announced key initiatives, including the unveiling of additional mPulse education data bundles.

“The opportunity to be MTN Nigeria’s CEO is a dream come true. It means a lot to me that I have made myself, my parents, and my school proud as a young CEO. I am certain that what I have learned here will prepare me for a brighter future”, Kate stated, when asked what the CEO position meant to her.

In addition to her CEO status, she has been awarded a N2.5m scholarship grant, a laptop, smartphone, and an MTN goody bag. MTN also presented a N350,000 grant and state-of-the-art ICT devices to her English teacher and school respectively.

Rounding off the event, the Chief Human Resource Officer, MTN Nigeria, Esther Akinnukawe appreciated the staff members for their warm hospitality. “We can all admit that today was significant, especially because of the lasting impact this event will have in the life of Kate and how much of an inspiration it will serve to the young ones out there. At MTN, we believe that everyone deserves the benefits of a modern, connected life and will continue to provide opportunities that support students to learn and grow.”

The MTN mPulse Spelling Bee is a self-development proposition designed by MTN Nigeria to promote digital literacy and academic excellence and thus empower the nation’s educational sector.

PHOTO NEWS from the event:

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The 14-year-old student from Intimacy with Christ School, Nasarawa state, Nigeria after assuming her role as one-day CEO of the largest telecommunications firm in Nigeria announced the propositions during a press conference at MTN Plaza, which had in attendance key MTN Executives and principal officers as well as journalists and other stakeholders.

The MTN education data bundles offer highly discounted data plans to educational sites where students and young people can learn different skills and access various developmental content.

The bundles range from N25 to N500 and offer as much as 250MB valid for 1 day to 4GB of data valid for 30 days

Kate became the MTN Nigeria One Day CEO after emerging as the champion of the 2022 MTN mPulse spelling bee competition Kate attributed her win to God and the practice materials she leveraged on the mPulse website.

“The journey has never been easy. I studied a lot and did so many practice tests on the mPulse website which resulted in my success. I am excited about this opportunity to lead the largest ICT company in Nigeria for one day. It’s an experience that I will never forget,” she stated.

Kate is passionate about excellence and desires for other students in Nigeria to access the learning opportunities she has enjoyed on the MTN mPulse platform. To take advantage of these offers specially designed for primary & secondary school students, simply dial *344*2# and you will be presented with affordable data plans.

The MTN mPulse website houses countless free learning materials for primary and secondary school students to learn, play and shine and is an exciting proposition by MTN Nigeria to help Nigeria’s young population remain globally competitive.

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At best, she would have said “I have a few more years to study, graduate from a tertiary institution, join the labour market and work my way to the top.”

Well, there is no need for speculations now as the 14-year-old teenage resident of Nasarawa will be resuming at the corporate headquarters of MTN Nigeria in Lagos on February 1, 2023, as the One-day CEO of the multi-million naira company.

ALSO READ: Kate Ene David is the 2022 MTN mPulse Spelling Bee Champion

In a move that is bound to make a lasting impression in the hearts and minds of many youngsters across the country, the young CEO will be welcomed to the HQ by the Chief Human Resources Officer, Esther Akinnukawe, and will take a tour of the MTN Nigeria’s corporate head office.

Kate Ene-David earned her place as the One-Day CEO of the ICT giant when she emerged as the winner of the 2022 MTN mPulse Spelling Bee Competition. She contested against 19 other top finalists and won the top spot when she spelled the word ‘acquiesce’.

In addition to her role as one-day CEO, the SS2 student of intimacy with Christ School received a N2.5m scholarship grant, a laptop and a smartphone. Her English teacher and school were also presented with a N350,000 grant and state-of-the-art ICT devices respectively. All the 19 finalists also won exciting prizes with the first and second runners-up also walking away with scholarships grants and other gifts.

Kate will no doubt go down in history as one of the youngest CEOs ever in Nigeria. It is a dream for many to work in a blue-chip multinational company, talk less of heading one, but for a 14-year-old to chair the affairs of one even for 24 hours, it is no mean feat.

Congratulations Kate Ene David and thanks to the MTN MPulse Spelling Bee and MTN Nigeria for making this possible.

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The fifth edition of the MTN mPulse Spelling Bee Competition has come to an end with Kate Ene David emerging as the winner.

Kate, a student from Intimacy with Christ International School, Mararaba, Nasarawa State, won the bee after correctly spelling the word “acquiesce” in the finale. As a result, the 14-year-old champion will become MTN Nigeria CEO for a day, assume leadership of Africa’s largest telecommunication network.

In her opening remarks, Adia Sowho, the Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria, congratulated the top 20 contestants who beat out over 11,000 participants to compete in the spelling bee finale, stating that the initiative presented a platform for them to develop and maximise their potential.

“Promoting digital education is one way in which we can encourage people to embrace the digital space and enjoy the benefits and convenience that come with it. This is why MTN mPulse continues to engage with young people through the website, which has vast variety of educational content, enabling them to learn, play and shine,” she said.

Giving her closing remarks, Esther Akinnukawe, the Chief Human Resource Officer, MTN Nigeria, commended the finalists for making it to the finals. “Congratulations to Kate for emerging the champion. I want to thank and commend every participant for showing up. Showing up is a winning quality, and I admire your courage in standing in front of the audience to represent yourself, your parent, and your school. We are thrilled to have such a large turnout, and we are more confident to carry on this educative initiative.”

In addition to being MTN Nigeria’s CEO for a day, Kate has been awarded N2.5m scholarship grant, a laptop, smartphone, and an MTN goody bag. MTN will also present a N350,000 grant and state-of-the-art ICT devices to the winner’s English teacher and school respectively.

Sharing her excitement, Kate, who was beaming with smiles said, “I am very excited and grateful to God for giving me the opportunity. The journey has never been easy but I studied a lot.” When asked what to expect from her as MTN CEO for a day, she said, “I think I am more excited to learn about the position on that day.”

Alongside Kate, the first, second and third runners-up, Agbo Divine Capable from Intimacy with Christ International School, Nasarawa State, Okechukwu Rejoice representing Glorious covenant school, Rivers State, and Daniel Ann, a student of Glorious Covenant School Rivers State and other finalists were rewarded with prizes valued at over N5.7m and lots of goody bags.

MTN mPulse Spelling Bee competition is one of the many initiatives by MTN Nigeria that help promote digital literacy and academic excellence, empowering the nation’s educational sector.

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Adrenaline causes tiny muscles beneath our skin to contract, tugging at the roots of the hairs that cover our bodies.

At that moment, we are gobsmacked, and excited and wouldn’t want to thread the feeling for anything in the world.  That is what happens when we experience word wizards spelling a broad selection of words with varying degrees of difficulty.

We’ve witnessed this occurrence repeatedly, as seen in the case of Snow George, a 15-year-old secondary school student who astounded the audience by triumphing over 16,000 participants to become the 2020 champion of the MTN mPulse Spelling Bee competition.

Snow as at the time of the competition was a student of Starville School, Abuja. Although it was an end-to-end virtual competition, she had familiarised herself with technology so much that the struggle of how to navigate her devices didn’t exist. In fact, her victory earned her the title of the first-ever winner of the MTN mPulse spelling bee competition.

Of course! Such a feat deserves to be rewarded, so the scholarship she was offered worth millions of naira courtesy of MTN Nigeria and other amazing prizes she accumulated for herself, her English teacher, and her school was befitting.

Akinyele Ademoyegun, a young and confident student from Kaydel Comprehensive College in Lagos, displayed his calm yet competitive nature during the digital spelling bee competition.

Despite being just 12 years old and an SS 1 student, he defeated over 13,000 participants by seamlessly spelling challenging words like Antiquarian, Herbaceous, Kemite, and Abyss, ultimately securing his victory in the competition in 2021.

Akinyele’s dedication to practice paid off, as he revealed that he extensively studied for the competition. He diligently read his dictionary day and night, putting in the effort to familiarise himself with tough words. This commitment to preparation undoubtedly contributed to his impressive performance in the spelling bee competition.

With this extra level of attention, his win didn’t come as a surprise, especially to his English teacher who had predicted his success thanks to his focus and sheer determination.

A scholarship grant of N2 million, a laptop, a smartphone, an mPulse goody bag was awarded to him. Additionally, the English teacher, Mrs. Anene Oluebube, received N350,000 in cash and a new laptop.

Kaydel Group of Schools was also presented with 10 laptops and 10 Hynet modems from MTN.

Kate Ene David, the exceptionally brilliant secondary school student from Intimacy with Christ Secondary School, Nasarawa State will go down in history as the first-ever female CEO of MTN Nigeria. How impressive!

The unassuming 13-year-old contestant, known for her composed and reserved disposition, initially went unnoticed in the competition. However, she steadily progressed from the initial top 20 participants to reach the top 5, and eventually secured a spot in the top 3.

It was only at this point that whispers about her potential victory began to circulate, as the audience started to acknowledge the impressive spelling abilities concealed beneath her calm and collected demeanor.

Kate won the competition when she correctly spelled the word “acquiesce” defeating two other top spellers. The phenomenal moment was captured across multiple clicks of cameras from the media and awed audience. Kate was the star of the competition.

She progressed to assume the position of CEO at MTN Nigeria’s HQ for a day. During her tenure as CEO, she met with the company’s executives.

At a press conference held later that day, she announced the launch of mPulse education data bundles that students now enjoy today. The bundles offer discounted rates for students and young people.

This remarkable day is not such that the 13-year-old champion will forget in a hurry.

Snow George, Akinyele Ademoyegun, and Kate Ene David exemplify a tale of perseverance and commitment. Achieving the status of a youthful prodigy and linguistic virtuoso is no simple feat. It demands a higher level of determination beyond the typical student endeavours to maintain their exceptional standing.

The 2023 edition of the MTN mPulse Spelling Bee competition is now open for primary and secondary school students between 9 and 15 years of age.

This year’s edition is a blend of digital and physical events with the grand finale to happen at the MTN Plaza, Falomo, Ikoyi.

This year’s top 20 finalists will rack up over N18 million worth of prizes including cutting-edge smartphones, laptops, goody bags, and many more.  The winner of the competition will be rewarded with a scholarship grant and will become MTN Nigeria’s CEO for a day, and the face of mPulse for a year!

Students may register to participate on the mPulse Website, provided they are registered on the mPulse plan.

Students who want to migrate to the mPulse plan should text the word ‘mPulse’ to 344 or dial *344*1#. The mPulse website features learning resources and practice materials that participants can leverage for the competition.

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