BusinessDay tech editor wins MTN Digital Storyteller Award with broadband exposé

Royal Ibeh, the editor of Technology Desk, BusinessDay Newspaper, has emerged winner of the Digital Economy Storyteller of the Year category at the inaugural MTN Media Innovation Programme (MIP) Awards, following her investigative report titled, “360 Tbps at the shore, buffering inland: Why Nigeria’s broadband promise remains unfulfilled.”

The award recognises fellows who produce high quality, insightful, and balanced reporting on telecommunications, digital transformation, or broader digital economy trends.

Organisers said the category honours journalists who demonstrate strong understanding of industry developments, simplify complex technical issues for wider audiences, and deliver balanced, credible and well-sourced storytelling.

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Royal Ibeh’s winning report examined the disconnect between Nigeria’s huge international broadband capacity and the poor internet experience faced by millions of users across the country.

The story highlighted how Nigeria continues to struggle with unreliable connectivity, weak last-mile infrastructure, poor fibre penetration, and uneven broadband access despite the presence of multiple submarine cable landings capable of delivering more than 360 terabits per second capacity at the coast.

The report stood out among entries from other finalists, including Frank Eleanya, with judges describing nominees in the category as journalists who delivered some of the best reporting within the MIP community.

Speaking after her nomination and eventual win, Ibeh said the recognition reaffirmed the importance of impactful journalism in driving conversations around Nigeria’s digital future.

“I am deeply grateful for the ‘Digital Storyteller of the Year’ award, at the inaugural MTN MIP Awards. My sincere appreciation goes to the MTN Media Innovation Programme Fellows (with special thanks to MTN Cohort 4), MTN Nigeria, Pan Atlantic University (PAU)and the distinguished panel of judges for recognising my work and selecting my story: 360 Tbps at the shore, buffering inland: Why Nigeria’s broadband promise remains unfulfilled.”

According to him, the report focused on challenges affecting everyday Nigerians, including poor internet access and unreliable connectivity, which continue to slow digital growth across sectors.

The inaugural MIP Awards were presented during the 2026 MIP Fellows Night held on May 17 at the MTN Rooftop. Organisers said the initiative was designed to recognise excellence, innovation and impact within the growing MIP media community across Africa.

Ahead of the awards, organisers had outlined strict criteria for each category, emphasising investigative depth, evidence-based reporting, originality, innovation, audience impact and ethical journalism standards.

For the Digital Economy Storyteller category, organisers stated that qualifying entries must demonstrate in-depth reporting on telecoms or digital economy developments, strong industry understanding, balanced storytelling, and the ability to simplify technical subjects for broader audiences.

They noted that promotional coverage, superficial reporting, or technically inaccurate content would not qualify for consideration.

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The awards were open to all MIP fellows across cohorts, covering works produced between January 1 and December 31, 2025. Both self-nominations and peer nominations were accepted.

A review panel comprising representatives from Pan-Atlantic University, MTN Nigeria, industry practitioners, and the University of Johannesburg evaluated submissions and shortlisted finalists across four categories.

Other winners announced at the event included Johnstone Kpilaakaa, who won Social Impact Story of the Year; Victory Wilson, named MIP Fellow of the Year; and Chioma Chinyere Chukwuemeka, who received the Media Innovator of the Year award.

The organisers said the first edition of the awards was intentionally designed to establish a credible platform for celebrating impactful journalism, innovation, and media leadership within the MIP network.

Prizes for the awards included N1 million for both the Social Impact Story and Digital Economy Storyteller categories, with the latter also attracting a one-year MTN internet subscription. The MIP Fellow of the Year winner received N1.5 million, while the Media Innovator of the Year prize stood at N3 million.