MTN Champs kicks-off athletics’ competition for 7000 secondary school students in Nigeria

The management of MTN Nigeria has concluded plans to organise competition for secondary school students in the country as part of investment in promoting athletics in Nigeria.

The programme under MTN Champs, which is geared towards catching athletes young, is scheduled to be launched in Benin City, Edo State between March 13 and 15, 2025.

Idowu Adesokan, general manager, Segment and Devices, MTN Nigeria, disclosed this when he led the management team of the telecommunications giant to the office of Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo at the Government House, Benin City.

Adesokan said that the programme would also take place in Lagos and Akwa Ibom states.

He also said that the projection was 7000 secondary school students nationwide, out of which 2000 students were projected from Edo, 2000 from Akwa Ibom and 3000 from Lagos State.

Adesokun further said that the programme since its inception in 2023 has covered 900 secondary schools in the country, over 15,000 students hosted while 20 most valuable talented athletes have been discovered and selected.

While describing it as a grassroots programme, he noted that it was geared towards encouraging young ones to take athletics as a sports career.

He disclosed that Edo State was chosen as a state to launch the 2025 programme as a result of its investment in sports development.

“I will say we have come back home with the programme called MTN Champs. Champs is a grassroots programme that we developed with our partners to bring athletics back to the forefront in Nigeria.

“When we started this programme in 2023, Edo State, Benin was one of the places we started with then and it was very successful, and that is why we repeated it in 2024. In 2024 we didn’t come to Edo State we went to other states. Now we are back in Edo state.

“You will say why in Edo state? We noticed that Edo State is a state that is focused on athletics. It shared our common goal, and the more reasons why at National Sports Festivals, Edo State is one of the states that always tops the national table, that shows the kind of investment over the years.

“That is why we say that to show that Edo State is a big state of sports, we done this across multiple states, we covered 900 secondary schools because it is grassroots, and we have been able to host over 15,000 students from which we are able to get 20 most valuable players who are good talents that we have put in academy.

“These athletes are the ones that will represent us in the Olympics in the future and all that. It is the same way you have an academy abroad.

“It will interest you to note that three of these 20 athletes in Nigeria are from Edo State. If you look at that percentage based on the 36 states in the country you will see that Edo is actually top, and we really appreciate it,” he said.

Adesokan added that the visit to the state governor was to solicit for the government partnership in organising the programme, especially in the provision of stadium, sports facilities, accommodation and other logistics for the participating athletes.

In his remarks, Monday Okpebholo, governor of Edo State, commended MTN Nigeria for choosing the State to launch the programme.

Okpebholo promised to accord the establishment all the necessary supports that would make the programme a success as well as also promised to personally grace the launching of the programme.

“I have been partnering with MTN for several years and we have been doing business together. We have been doing a lot.

“For your coming, I am happy to receive you, and I want to let you know that whatever you want from us we will support you.

“I will talk to the State Chairman, Sports Commission to liaise with you and also the commissioner for education.

“I also promised you that I will be very much on the ground for the launching of the programme.

“I want to thank you once again for coming because sports is a means of development and also creates awareness. And, I assure you that doing this programme in Edo, your establishment will never regret it,” he added.