Oreoluwa Alayande, a 14-year-old student from Ado-Ekiti, clinched the 2025 MTN mPulse Spelling Bee title on Saturday after a thrilling showdown with Nigeria’s best young spellers.
The final round, held on November 29 at the MTN Plaza Rooftop in Lagos, attracted students, teachers, parents and dignitaries. In attendance were the Senior Special Assistant to the Lagos State Governor on Basic and Secondary Education, Opeyemi Eniola, and the 2024 mPulse Spelling Bee champion, Ikenna Ikechukwu.
As the new MTN mPulse Champion, Oreoluwa received a N5 million educational grant, a brand-new laptop and smartphone, the opportunity to serve as MTN CEO for a Day, and the title of Face of mPulse for one year.
Her school, St. Lawrence Metropolitan College, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, will also benefit from her feat, with a N10 million flagship gift, 10 laptops and 10 MTN 5G routers. Her teacher will receive a N500,000 cash reward.
Expressing her gratitude, Oreoluwa thanked MTN for creating a platform that empowers young learners. “I’d like to use this opportunity to thank MTN for providing a platform that empowers youths and increases the vocabulary of students. I’d also like to thank my family, everyone who has supported me so far, and my school,” she said.
MTN Nigeria’s Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, Babatunde Oyeleye, praised the contestants, parents and teachers for their commitment. “Every year, we bring you all together to see who becomes the exceptional speller in Nigeria, and the participants always perform exceptionally,” he said. “A big thank you to the parents and teachers. You dedicate your time to nurturing these children, and the pride on your faces is always evident. We are glad to be enablers of that smile and pride.”
Samuel Babalola placed second, earning a N2.5 million educational grant, a laptop and a smartphone, while his teacher got N300,000. In third place, Levi Kelechi Ebisike received a N1.5 million educational grant, a laptop and a smartphone, with N200,000 going to his teacher.
The grand finale was streamed live on the MTN Nigeria YouTube channel and on Holiday Channel 198 on DStv and GOtv, giving audiences across the country the opportunity to follow the competition.
The MTN mPulse Spelling Bee remains one of the nation’s most impactful youth development programmes, reinforcing MTN’s commitment to literacy, digital inclusion and academic excellence. As a flagship initiative under the mPulse platform, the competition continues to promote digital literacy and healthy academic competition among Nigerian students.
