Oreoluwa Alayande wins 2025 MTN mPulse Spelling Bee, emerges MTN CEO for a day

Oreoluwa Alayande, a 14-year-old, has been crowned the winner of the MTN mPulse Spelling Bee 2025, following a grand finale that saw the top 20 contestants from schools across the country compete head-to-head.

The grand finale of the MTN mPulse Spelling Bee 2025 competition was held recently at the MTN Plaza Rooftop.

As the 2025 MTN mPulse Champion, Oreoluwa was awarded an educational grant of N5 million, the opportunity to be the MTN CEO for a Day, a brand new laptop and smartphone, and the title of the face of mPulse for a year.

Her victory also benefits her school, which will receive a N10 million flagship gift, 10 laptops, and 10 MTN 5G routers, while her teacher receives a N500,000 cash prize.

Oreoluwa, a student of St. Lawrence Metropolitan College, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, expressed her gratitude. “I’d like to use this opportunity to thank MTN for providing a platform that empowers youths and increases the vocabulary of students,” she said. “I’d also like to thank my family, everyone who has supported me so far, and my school,” she said.

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Babatunde Oyeleye, chief strategy and innovation officer, MTN Nigeria, acknowledged the parents and teachers. “Every year, we bring you all together to see who becomes the exceptional speller in Nigeria, and the participants always perform exceptionally,” Oyeleye stated.

“I’d like to say a big thank you to the parents and the teachers. You dedicate your time to nurturing these children, and the feeling of pride is always evident on your faces. We are glad to be enablers of that smile and pride you feel,” Oyeleye said.

The second position, Samuel Babalola, was rewarded with a N2.5 million educational grant, 1 laptop, and 1 smartphone, with his teacher receiving an N300,000 cash prize. Levi Kelechi Ebisike, in third place, won a N1.5 million educational grant, 1 laptop, and 1 smartphone, along with an N200,000 cash prize for his teacher.

The grand finale was streamed live on the MTN Nigeria YouTube channel and on the Holiday Channel 198 on both DStv and GOtv, allowing Nigerians nationwide to watch the brilliant spellers.

The MTN mPulse Spelling Bee is a flagship initiative under the MTN mPulse umbrella, is designed to foster digital literacy, academic excellence, and healthy competition among Nigerian students.

Seyi John Salau is a BusinessDay Correspondent with interest in development journalism, which tells stories that connect the people, brands, and the government. SeyiJohn is also a media professional with BSc, Mass Communition (ACU); Masters of School Media (MSM, Ibadan) & MSc, Mass Communication (Caleb).

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