By STELLAMARIS ASHINZE

MTN Nigeria on Wednesday opened entries for the 8th edition of its mPulse Spelling Bee competition for primary and secondary school students nationwide.

Mrs Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), MTN Nigeria, said in a statement, that the competition opened for students from nine to 15 years, had N40 million prizes worth at stake.

Ikenna-Emeka said that the initiative was designed to promote learning, reward excellence and create opportunities for young Nigerians.

The CMO said that MTN mPulse Spelling Bee created opportunities for every child to learn, compete and dream.

She said that by combining nationwide digital participation with regional competitions, talented students, regardless of where they live could showcase their abilities on a national stage.

“Beyond recognising academic excellence, the competition equips young people with confidence, resilience and the belief that hard work and determination can open doors to greater opportunities.

"The competition had continued to transform the lives of young Nigerians by recognising academic excellence and expanding access to educational opportunities ,’’ the CMO said.

The telecommunications company said the competition would run from July 20 to Nov. 28, combining nationwide digital participation with regional contests before the grand finale in Lagos.

She said that the 2026 edition would feature regional physical contests in Abuja, Port Harcourt and Abeokuta, bringing together qualifiers from the six geopolitical zones.

According to her, the expanded format will enable more students to progress through the competition before advancing to the national finals.

She said online practice and qualifying rounds would hold on the mPulse platform, with the top 3,000 participants qualifying for the regional stage.

Ikenna-Emeka explained that 500 students from each geopolitical zone would advance to the regional contests, where top performers would emerge for the Lagos grand finale.

She said that 20 finalists would compete for prizes worth up to N40 million, including scholarships, cash rewards, ICT devices and the opportunity to serve as “MTN CEO for a Day”.

The chief marketing officer said that participating schools and teachers would also be rewarded, with top schools in each region eligible for prizes of up to N1 million alongside incentives for outstanding teachers.

She recalled that Oreoluwa Alayande, winner of the 2025 edition, emerged champion after defeating finalists from across the country and earned the “MTN CEO for a Day” title alongside scholarships, cash prizes and ICT devices.

Ikenna-Emeka urged eligible students to register through the mPulse platform by creating or logging into their profiles, completing practice tests and proceeding to the entry stage.

She reaffirmed the commitment of the telecom company to using technology and education to inspire learning, nurture talent and help young Nigerians realise their potential. (NAN)

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