Held in January 2025, the event celebrated Ikenna’s remarkable achievement, sealed with his flawless spelling of “Cornucopia,” and highlighted the school’s role in nurturing talent.

The visit was a celebration of excellence and innovation. Ikenna Ikechukwu won the MTN mPulse Spelling Bee title at the Grand Finale in Lagos in November 2024, and was awarded ₦5 million scholarship, a laptop, a smartphone, and an mPulse goody bag.

This time his school, Glorious Covenant School was gifted 10 laptops and 10 MTN 5G routers, a resource that promises to enhance the learning experience for all students.

“This competition celebrates hard work, talent, and determination. It’s about empowering our youth to dream big and achieve more. We’re proud of Ikenna and thrilled to contribute to the development of his school,” said Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, chief marketing officer, MTN Nigeria. “This event is about more than prizes; it’s about investing in the future of education and inspiring young minds. Ikenna’s success reflects the boundless potential of Nigerian youth.”

The visit not only celebrated Ikenna’s achievement but also raised awareness of the MTN mPulse Spelling Bee competition, encouraging schools in the region to participate in upcoming editions.

Students and staff expressed their gratitude for the support and were inspired to strive for greater heights.

The excitement among students and staff was evident as they envisioned new possibilities for learning with MTN’s contributions set to revolutionize digital education at Glorious Covenant School.

As Ikenna Ikechukwu prepares to assume his role as MTN CEO for a Day, his journey stands as a testament to the power of opportunity and dedication.

Ikenna shared his gratitude and aspirations: “Winning this competition has been life-changing. I hope my story inspires others to believe in themselves and work hard.”

Following participation from over 12,000 contestants, the top 20 finalists are students between the ages of 9 and 15 from Nigerian primary and secondary schools.

The finalists will compete for prizes worth over N18 million, the opportunity to be the face of mPulse for a year, and the chance to be MTN Nigeria’s CEO for a day.

Teachers of the top three contestants will also receive cash prizes, and the winning school will receive 10 laptops and 10 Hynet modems, as well as cutting-edge ICT devices, from MTN.

The finale, which will take place on December 2, 2023, at the MTN Plaza, Falomo, Ikoyi and will be streamed live on the mPulse YouTube channel, will feature contestants, school representatives, teachers, and parents who will attend to cheer on their wards to victory where contestants are expected to spell words of varying difficulty at a higher level than in previous rounds.

The mPulse Spelling Bee Competition is an annual competition for students aged 9 to 15 in primary and secondary schools across Nigeria, with the goal of encouraging academic growth, and self-improvement, promoting healthy competition among peers, and utilising their full potential.

The MTN mPulse Spelling Bee is a cornerstone of MTN’s commitment to educational empowerment, and it aligns with the company’s vision of contributing to national development by investing in the intellectual capital of the next generation.

Each round of the competition progressed with a shortlist of students who made the next round, from the top 1000 participants to the top 20 finalists.

The top 20 finalists who are students between 9 and 15 years old from primary and secondary schools in Nigeria have successfully made it to the finals.

They will be competing for the grand prize of a scholarship grant,  ICT devices, smartphones, goody bags, and the chance to become MTN Nigeria’s CEO for a day.

The winning school will also be rewarded by MTN with 10 laptops and 10 Hynet modems as well as state-of-the-art ICT devices.

Although the winner goes home with the grand prize, all 20 participants will be rewarded with mouthwatering gifts for making the final round.

Unlike the previous rounds that were held on the mPulse website, the finale will hold on-site at the MTN Plaza, Falomo Ikoyi, Lagos, and will be streamed live on the MTN YouTube channel.

The finalists are expected to spell a broad selection of words with a higher degree of difficulty than in the other rounds.

A winner will emerge from this round who will go on to become MTN’s CEO for a day.

The MTN mPulse Spelling Bee was established to promote literacy, expand vocabulary, hone comprehension abilities, and boost students’ self-confidence.

To see the full list of winners and keep tabs on exciting updates about the competition, kindly visit the mPulse website.

The opportunities are endless in this edition as the brand is giving the overall winner the chance to become its CEO for a day.

What this means is that your child gets to oversee the general operations of the biggest telecommunications company in Nigeria, and support ongoing projects, thereby garnering firsthand CEO experiences, developing business acumen, and basking in the euphoria of being a young boss!

In addition, the champion will be awarded a N2m scholarship grant, premium ICT devices, smartphones, and goody bags.

The champion’s school will equally be rewarded with prizes while the first and second runners-up will be rewarded with cash prizes for themselves and their English teachers.

The competition remains the first digital spelling bee competition in Nigeria which was established with the purpose to support education and help Nigerian students maximize their potential.

Since its inception in 2020, the competition has gathered over 40 thousand participants nationwide.

Round two of the competition will hold on the mPulse website while the grand finale is slated to hold in November at the MTN Plaza, Falomo, Ikoyi.

Speaking on MTN’s objective for the event, Adia Sowho, the Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria, said, “Today’s event is geared towards inspiring young children to become tech entrepreneurs because tech can position them into a world of unimaginable opportunities.”

The students who came from schools across Lagos, such as; Kaydel Comprehensive College, Methodist Boys High School, Methodist Girls High School, Igbobi College, Queens College, King’s College, Regan Memorial Baptist Girls, Baptist Academy Boys, and New Estate Baptist Secondary School, were introduced into the world of technology by Backend Developer, Ruth Ikegah, 17-year-old self-taught software developer, Obaloluwa Odelana and Co-founder/Chief Marketing Officer, PiggyVest, Joshua Chibueze.

Speaking on the partnership with MTN, Juliet Ehimuan-Chiazor, the Director, West Africa, Google, said, “Children are very important to the future of Nigeria, and it is important that we share insights with them. We are delighted to be partnering with MTN for this event because we are passionate about creating digital empowerment.”

The tech session is one of the activities from MTN to thrill kids during Children’s day. From May 27th – 31st, children enjoyed discounted offers at Genesis Cinemas, Playworld Abuja, GardenPark PortHarcourt, Upbeat Lagos, and Laterna Bookstores Lagos courtesy of MTN.

Also, every hour on Children’s day, the first 20 participants who answered questions on the mPulse website correctly received gifts from MTN. 

Speaking on the impact of the event, Alabi Oluwafikunayomi, an SS1 student of Igbobi College, said, “It was a wonderful event, I learnt that I have a lot of resources at my fingertips and I have to make use of them.”

To cater to Nigerian children, teenagers and secondary school students, MTN designed the mPulse proposition that enables them to learn and excel in their academics, develop skills, play brain-stimulating games, and enjoy age-appropriate entertainment.