Nearly 150 educational institutions and athletic squads compete for top honors at the MTN 2026 Plateau tournament

The fourth edition of the MTN Championship is set to kick off on Thursday in Plateau State, featuring 148 schools and teams competing for medals in various athletics events, as part of MTN's initiative to promote youth development and grassroots sports across Nigeria.

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The tournament will take place at the New Jos Township Stadium, with the Chief Internal Audit and Forensic Services Officer at MTN, Ibe Etea, addressing a press conference in Jos on Wednesday to reiterate the company's commitment to nurturing young talents through sports.

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Etea expressed gratitude to the government representatives and the people of Jos for hosting the event, stating that the company has had previous successful editions of the MTN Champs event in the city, and is grateful for the opportunity to return.

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The event will feature about 1,300 athletes competing in 94 events across four age categories, with prizes including ₦2m for first place, ₦1.5m for second place, ₦1m for third place, and ₦500,000 for fourth place, as disclosed by Etea.

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Etea noted that this is the fourth edition of the event, with previous meets held in Lagos and Calabar, and the next stop being the grand finale in Ibadan, where the introduction of enhanced rewards aims to further encourage excellence.

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The prizes for schools competing in athletics are as follows: first place ₦2m, second place ₦1.5m, third place ₦1m, and fourth place ₦500,000, according to Etea, who explained that the enhanced rewards are a new addition to the event.

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Since its inception in 2022, MTN Champs has recorded significant growth, with about 20,000 athletes and over 1,500 schools participating nationwide, and 30 outstanding athletes progressing to the MTN Champs Athletics Academy, as explained by Etea.

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Participants in the programme have recorded notable achievements, including winning 14 medals in national competitions and representing Nigeria in the men’s 4x400m relay event, according to Etea.

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The Managing Editor of Making of Champions, Yemi Galadima, highlighted the impact of the competition on youth sports development, noting that the event provides athletes with a platform across different events.

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Galadima stated that MTN Champs has become an important fixture in the calendar of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, giving athletes the opportunity to compete across four age categories, which was previously uncommon in Nigeria.

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The Plateau State Commissioner for Sports, Musa Ashoms, commended MTN for choosing the state to host the championship and assured organisers of government support to ensure the success of the tournament.

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The Commissioner for Education, Kachollom Gang, expressed confidence that the competition would help nurture champions while promoting education through sports, believing that the initiative will help develop champions and encourage academic excellence alongside sporting achievement.

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Prof. Ezra Gunen, the Director of the Plateau State Sports Council, commended MTN for sustaining the initiative and urged young athletes to balance sports with education, noting that sporting careers are often short and require academic support for long-term success.

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The 2026 MTN Championship in Jos is scheduled to run until March 28, 2026, after which the competition will move to Ibadan for the grand finale.