Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer at MTN Nigeria, Tobe Okigbo, has said that the MTN Media Innovation Programme (MIP) will continue beyond its current cohort which reiterates its commitment to developing media professionals and strengthening journalism’s contribution to national development.

He gave the assurance while addressing fellows of the programme’s fifth cohort yesterday at the Pan-Atlantic University reflecting on its origins, evolution and impact on participants and the wider media industry.
“The future of MIP is that you will not be the last cohort,” Okigbo told the fellows, signaling the company’s intention to sustain the initiative beyond the current participants.
He also emphasised the importance of merit in selecting participants, explaining that candidates should earn their places based on their suitability for the programme rather than personal connections or recommendations from influential individuals.

“We were very deliberate in selections, I get calls from big personalities including ministers to have their own in the cohort, when I receive such calls, I send the name to the PAU team to take the name off even if the person stood a chance. This is to promote transparency, credibility and fairness.”
Okigbo described MIP as an initiative that has continued to evolve, with its design and delivery adjusted to respond to emerging needs and opportunities. According to him, its value extends beyond professional training to the relationships, perspectives and influence participants can develop through the experience.

He noted that the programme had wider implications for the relationship between the media, corporate institutions and public policy, suggesting that fellows might not fully appreciate its potential to influence conversations and decisions beyond the classroom.
He encouraged the participants to recognise both the value of the opportunity and the responsibility that comes with the knowledge and networks they have acquired.

Beyond professional development, Okigbo challenged the fellows to take greater responsibility for shaping the future they wanted rather than remaining on the sidelines. He urged them to look beyond divisions associated with politics, religion and ethnicity and consider how their individual contributions could support meaningful change.
The engagement also provided an opportunity for fellows to ask questions about MIP’s future, its structure and how the experience could translate into practical opportunities after the six-month learning period.
Responding to questions about extending the programme into a longer academic qualification, Okigbo distinguished professional certification programmes from conventional postgraduate degrees. He explained that certification programmes provide continuing professional education and are designed to challenge participants through focused learning experiences.
He indicated that any changes to MIP’s structure would need to be considered in the context of its objectives and design, rather than assuming that a longer academic qualification would necessarily deliver better results.
For the fellows, the session offered an opportunity to reflect on their experiences, discuss the programme’s future and consider how to apply their learning to the evolving media and communications landscape.

MIP provides participants with opportunities to strengthen their professional skills, engage with industry leaders and explore the intersection of journalism, technology, business and innovation. Its continued development comes as media professionals respond to changing audience expectations, technological advances and the economic realities of the industry.

Okigbo’s assurance of the programme’s continuation offers encouragement to current and prospective fellows, while his emphasis on merit underscores the importance of maintaining credible access to professional development opportunities.