Africa’s largest mobile network operator, MTN, has reaffirmed its long-term commitment to Nigeria’s grassroots athletics ecosystem by signing a landmark three-year extension with Making of Champions (MoC) for the continued sponsorship of MTN CHAMPS through the LA 2028 Olympic Games
.The historic partnership was announced at a press conference on February 11 at the MTN Plaza, Ikoyi, Lagos. The multi-year agreement confirms that MTN CHAMPS Seasons 4, 5 and 6 are now secured through 2028 — providing athletes nationwide across all age groups, from Cadet and Youth to Junior and Senior, with a structured three-year runway to support long-term preparation toward the 2028 Olympic Games, the 2026 and 2028 World U20 Championships, and other continental and global competitions
.Season 4 of MTN CHAMPS will be staged as follows:MTN CHAMPS Athletics Classics – Calabar: March 5–7, 2026MTN CHAMPS Continental Relays – Jos: March 26–28, 2026MTN CHAMPS Grand Final – Ibadan: April 15–18, 2026MoC confirmed the possibility that the Calabar and Jos meets will be used to play a key role in Nigeria’s preparation ahead of the 2026 World Relays, with the AFN making plans to take 
Team Nigeria to qualify in those events at those events, while Ibadan hosts the Grand Final in what is projected to be the largest championship gathering in the competition’s history.MoC also unveiled 10 new athletes into the MoC Athletics Academy following their standout performances at MTN CHAMPS Season 3. The newly inducted athletes — Victory Aganya, Emmanuel Akolo, Michael Aniche, Rebecca Enilolobo, Chidimma Esomonu, Abdulfatah Oduwole, Nneoma Okonkwo, Mighty Otunola, Destiny Reuben and Kehinde Seriki — join the 20 athletes previously recruited from Seasons 1 and 2, bringing the Academy’s roster to a record 30 athletes as it strengthens Nigeria’s sprint and quarter-mile development pipeline through 2028.Further reinforcing the ecosystem, Beacon Power Services (BPS) announced a parallel three-year student-athlete scholarship agreement with MoC Academy, providing full educational and performance support through 2028 for Rebecca Enilolobo and Destiny Reuben. The agreement deepens corporate-backed athlete development in Nigeria and brings the total number of fully supported athletes at the Academy to 22 out of the 30 for the current Olympic cycle, with the other eight also now available to take up corporate sponsorship from other brands.Since its launch in 2023, MTN CHAMPS has grown into Nigeria’s largest secondary school athletics competition, attracting over 22,000 athletes from 1,300 schools across eight cities nationwide.Athletes discovered during MTN CHAMPS Seasons 1 and 2 who joined the MoC Academy — with MTN as Title Sponsor — went on to secure 10 international medals and 14 national medals in 2025 within just one year of entering the structured and focused development environment, demonstrating the early return on investment by MTN in a long-term talent development model.In addition, MTN has confirmed continued sponsorship of 20 athletes annually at the MoC Academy through the 2028 Olympic cycle, reinforcing a clear pathway from grassroots discovery to elite international representation
.MoC also confirmed that its strategic partnerships with the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), the Nigeria School Sport Federation (NSSF), and Roster Athletics are set to continue through the three-year Olympic cycle.Under the continued structure:AFN will remain the Official Technical Partner, ensuring electronic timing, standards compliance, and World Athletics ratification of results.NSSF will continue as the Official Schools’ Partner, facilitating nationwide school participation and access.Roster Athletics will maintain its role as Competition Management and Live Results Technology Partner, powering athlete registration, scoring and real-time event management nationwide.Sponsor and Partner RemarksMTN (Title Sponsor)Obiageli Ugboma, Chief Risk and Compliance Officer (CRCO), MTN Nigeria, reaffirmed the techco’s commitment to youth empowerment:“MTN CHAMPS Season 4 reflects our commitment to discovering and nurturing the next generation of Nigerian sports stars. We are breaking barriers and bringing the opportunity closer to home for thousands of aspiring champions. At MTN, we are proud to play a role in shaping the future of Nigerian athletics, because investing in young talent today secures the victories of tomorrow.”AFN (Technical Partner)Chief Tonobok Okowa, President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, stated:“I have had the opportunity to attend some of the editions of MTN CHAMPS and the organisers have been doing very well. The impact has been evident, and we look forward to the role MTN CHAMPS will continue to play over the next three years in preparing our athletes for competitions on the continental and global stage. Also, some of our top athletes are members of the MoC Athletics Academy and have been invited to our Commonwealth Games camp.
For this edition (Season 4), we’re going to be with you every step of the way.”NSSF (Schools’ Partner)Mrs. Olabisi Joseph, President of the Nigeria School Sport Federation, remarked:“The past three years of MTN CHAMPS have provided a platform for young athletes from Nigeria to compete. A lot of this talent would have been on the streets, wasting away, but because of MTN and MoC, we can harness the abundance of talent in our school system. Nigeria’s team to the African School Games mostly comprised of athletes who had competed at MTN CHAMPS, and they went on to make the country proud.
This year, NSSF is ready for the event, and we look forward to many more years of continued partnership with MTN and MoC.”Roster Athletics (Technology Partner)
