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Mr. Ibe Etea, General Manager, Internal Audit & Fraud Management at MTN Nigeria, has reaffirmed the company’s commitment to youth empowerment and national development through sports at the press briefing of the MTN Champs Season 4 held at Valada Hotel and Resorts, Jos.
Etea appreciated Plateau State for hosting the competition, describing Jos as “a city of great heritage,” noting that MTN Champs had previously been staged in the city and expressing delight at returning once again.
According to him, Season 4 of the championship began in Calabar, is currently taking place in Jos, and will conclude in Ibadan, marking what he described as “a great run.”
“MTN is an enabler for change through sports, a promoter of national development and youth empowerment,” Etea stated.
He highlighted the programme’s growth, revealing that the initiative has engaged about 20,000 athletes from over 1,500 schools, with 30 Most Valuable Players already enrolled in the MTN Champs Athletics Academy. He added that athletes emerging from the programme have secured 14 medals in three national competitions, while two Nigerian men’s 4×400m relay athletes have also emerged from the system.
Etea further noted MTN Champs’ international footprint, citing participation in the Islamic Solidarity Games in Saudi Arabia, as well as competitions under the Confederation of African Athletics in Ghana and the African School Games in Algeria.
In a major development, he announced the introduction of cash rewards for schools, with ₦2 million for first place, ₦1.5 million for second, ₦1 million for third, and ₦500,000 for fourth position.
Additional incentives will also be awarded to schools for cheerleading participation, with prizes ranging from ₦5 million to ₦500,000 up to the tenth position.
He called on schools and teachers to mobilise students and athletes to participate actively and make the competition memorable.
Credit : Nathaniel Mobolade
