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Fourteen-year-old Oreoluwa Alayande, winner of the 2025 MTN mPulse Spelling Bee, has taken on the role of MTN Nigeria’s “CEO for a Day,” in an initiative aimed at inspiring young Nigerians and promoting education and digital empowerment.
Alayande, a student of St. Lawrence Metropolitan College, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, earned the unique opportunity after emerging the overall winner of the nationwide spelling competition organised by MTN Nigeria.
The programme, which coincided with activities marking International Women’s Day, highlighted the telecommunications company’s commitment to supporting education, youth empowerment and digital skills development among Nigerian students.
Speaking during the event, Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria, Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, described the MTN mPulse Spelling Bee as more than just a competition, noting that it serves as a platform for discovering and nurturing young talents.
According to her, the initiative was created to help students between the ages of nine and 15 develop important skills such as vocabulary building, public speaking, confidence and digital literacy.
She explained that the competition has expanded significantly since its inception in 2018, with participation from thousands of students across the country.
“For the 2025 edition, we expanded the competition across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones with regional contests before the grand finale. Over 40,000 students participated in the competition,” she said.
Ikenna-Emeka added that MTN Nigeria remains committed to providing platforms that enable young Nigerians to pursue their dreams and develop skills that will prepare them for the future.
Also speaking, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, MTN Nigeria, Babatunde Oyeleye, described Alayande as an exceptional student who demonstrated remarkable composure and excellence during the final round of the competition.
He noted that the SS2 student excelled under intense pressure during the final “spell-off” stage, where contestants were required to spell as many words as possible within a limited time.
“Oreoluwa remained calm and focused, which helped her spell the highest number of words and secure victory,” he said.
Oyeleye added that the young champion has strong academic interests in Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics and English, while also aspiring to become a software engineer in the future.
In her remarks as MTN’s CEO for a Day, Alayande expressed gratitude to the company for the opportunity, describing the experience as life-changing.
“Standing here today as MTN’s CEO for a day is something I never imagined would happen. This opportunity shows that young people can dream big and achieve great things,” she said.
The young scholar noted that participating in the competition strengthened her confidence and discipline while exposing her to leadership and teamwork.
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She also used the platform to advocate for greater opportunities for girls in education, technology and leadership development.
“Empowering young girls with digital skills and confidence will prepare them for the future and create lasting impact for society,” she said.
Alayande encouraged students across Nigeria to take advantage of the free learning resources available on the MTN mPulse platform, noting that the digital tools helped her prepare for the competition.
Reflecting on her journey, she said persistence, consistency and faith played a major role in her success.
“It didn’t work the first time or even the second time, but I kept trying. My victory should inspire other young people never to give up,” she said.
Reacting to her daughter’s achievement, Mrs. Justine Alayande, said the family was overwhelmed with joy and gratitude.
“It is truly a privilege and we are very excited. We never imagined something like this would happen. First of all, we return all the glory to God for guiding and preserving her and our family throughout this journey,” she said.
She also expressed appreciation to MTN Nigeria for creating a platform that gives young students the opportunity to discover and develop their talents.
According to her, her daughter’s journey began when she gained admission into the school in JSS1, where students were encouraged to join clubs based on their interests.
“When she first got admitted into the school, they allowed the students to join different groups. One week she would tell me she had joined one group and another week she would say she was in another group. Eventually she told me she had joined the Spelling Bee group and I encouraged her to continue,” she explained.
Mrs. Alayande said her daughter participated in several competitions over the years, sometimes returning home disappointed after failing to win.
“Sometimes she would come back home crying that she didn’t win. But I would always encourage her and tell her not to worry, that her own time would come,” she said.
According to her, Alayande had registered for the MTN mPulse Spelling Bee several times before eventually emerging winner.
“This was about the third time she registered for the competition. When she was shortlisted this time, I told her that we were moving forward, and gradually she got to this stage. So it is truly by God’s grace. We are grateful to MTN for this opportunity and everything they have done,” she added.
MTN executives at the event also commended the young winner’s parents and teachers for supporting her academic journey, noting that initiatives such as the mPulse Spelling Bee demonstrate the importance of nurturing young talents for Nigeria’s future.
The One Day CEO initiative allows outstanding students to interact with senior executives, gain insight into corporate leadership and inspire other young Nigerians to pursue excellence.
