Get Guardian on GoogleSix pupils from the Northern region have qualified for the national grand finale of the 2026 MTN mPulse Spelling Bee competition following their impressive performances at the Abuja regional contest.
The six contestants will join other successful participants from across the country at the grand finale scheduled to hold in Lagos State on November 28, where they will compete for top honours and other prizes.
The Abuja regional final, held on Saturday at Mrs Mariya Abiodun Laghaja Hall, NAOWA Model Primary School, Mammy Barracks, Asokoro, brought together pupils from several states across the North-East, North-West and North-Central geopolitical zones to demonstrate their spelling abilities, vocabulary and communication skills.
The competition, organised by MTN Nigeria, targets children between the ages of nine and 15 and is designed to promote literacy, encourage academic excellence and build confidence among young learners.
Speaking at the event, the Senior Manager, Youth and Teen Segment, MTN Nigeria, Timilolu Salako, said the initiative was part of the company’s efforts to recognise and reward talented pupils while appreciating the contributions of parents, teachers and schools to children’s education.
He explained that the competition was also intended to sustain interest in literacy and communication skills at a time when increasing attention was being paid to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
“For us, we understand there’s a direction in STEM, but one of the things we’re also trying to do is recognise that literacy is also very important.
“We don’t want to lose sight of the soft skills, which we feel are extremely important. There is a tendency for people to focus on the hard skills without understanding that communication is very important. Spelling and understanding how to use words are very important for us,” Salako said.
He noted that effective communication remained an essential skill for children’s future development, adding that the initiative was designed to encourage young people to appreciate the importance of language and literacy alongside technical skills.
According to him, registration for the competition is free, although participants are required to be MTN mPulse subscribers.
Interested pupils register through the mPulse Planet platform, where they can practise spelling before taking the actual competition tests.
Salako said the regional competitions were introduced to ensure broader representation across the country and give pupils from different parts of Nigeria opportunities to compete for national recognition.
The Port Harcourt regional competition, held on October 31, produced contestants from the South-South and South-East, while the Abuja regional final provided opportunities for participants from the three northern geopolitical zones.
The next regional competition is scheduled to take place in Abeokuta on November 14, ahead of the national grand finale in Lagos.
Also speaking, the competition’s Chief Speller, Titus Shua Bankole, said spelling competitions played an important role in improving children’s vocabulary, critical thinking and communication abilities.
Bankole, who has more than 20 years of experience in literacy teaching and communication skills development, said preparing for spelling contests encouraged children to research unfamiliar words and develop a broader understanding of language.
“The more research you carry out, the more words you know, which improves your vocabulary. And a great vocabulary range is one of the ways to become an outstanding communicator and to reach for the skies in anything you do,” he said.
He described Nigerian children as capable of competing on international platforms when provided with the necessary opportunities and exposure.
“I’ve always maintained that the Nigerian child can be a global citizen. They need only the platform,” he said.
Bankole commended MTN for providing an opportunity for children from different backgrounds to demonstrate their abilities, noting that competitions outside the conventional classroom environment could help pupils discover their potential and build confidence.
He added that learning should not be restricted to classrooms, stressing the importance of extracurricular academic activities in developing children’s intellectual abilities.
In her remarks, a representative of the organisers described the spelling bee as more than an academic contest, saying it was designed to celebrate the brilliance, determination, courage and potential of young Nigerians.
She commended parents and teachers for their support and sacrifices, urging the contestants to sustain their interest in reading, learning and personal development.
The six successful contestants from Abuja will now represent the region at the Lagos grand finale, where they will compete alongside other regional qualifiers for the national title.
