No fewer than 148 secondary schools and groups are set to contend as the 2026 edition of the MTN Champs athletics competition begins in Jos, with organisers forecasting a highly competitive getaway amongst young professional athletes from across the nation.
The three-day champion, holding at the New Jos Area Arena, is the third leg of this year’s across the country series and forms part of MTN Nigeria’s wider grassroots sports advancement effort focused on identifying and nurturing emerging skills in sports.
Speaking at a media briefing ahead of the event, MTN’s Chief Internal Audit and Forensic Services Officer, Ibe Etea, said the telecommunications firm remains committed to purchasing youth development through structured sporting platforms.
He noted that the Jos satisfy builds on the momentum taped in earlier legs of the competition, which were successfully held in Lagos and Calabar, with the grand ending arranged for Ibadan.
According to him, around 1,300 student-athletes will complete in 94 track and field occasions covering four age categories, reflecting the competition’s expanding reach and growing track record within Nigeria’s sports calendar.
He included that organisers have actually reviewed the benefit structure to additional inspire getting involved schools, with the overall winning team anticipated to get 2 million, while the second- and third-placed schools will make 1.5 million and 1 million respectively. The fourth-placed team will receive 500,000.
The MTN Champs, launched in 2022 in collaboration with Making from Champions, has actually quickly become among Nigeria’s most popular independently funded school sports competitions. Developed as a talent discovery and development pipeline, the program supplies student-athletes with access to structured competitors, expert training direct exposure, and paths into elite sports.
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Given that its creation, the initiative has actually attracted participation from more than 20,000 professional athletes representing over 1,500 schools across the country. Organisers revealed that at least 30 standout athletes have actually progressed into the MTN Champs Athletics Academy, where they receive advanced training and mentorship.
Individuals from the programme have actually already begun to make an impact on the nationwide phase. According to organisers, professional athletes discovered through the competition have jointly protected over a lots medals in domestic competitions and have featured in global occasions, consisting of representing Nigeria in relay competitions such as the guys’s 4 × 400 metres.
Likewise speaking, Handling Editor at Making From Champions, Yemi Galadima, emphasised the significance of the competition in reinforcing grassroots athletics in Nigeria.
She discussed that the structure of the MTN Champs, especially its addition of multiple age classifications has actually assisted bridge a longstanding gap in youth athletics development in the nation.
Galadima noted that, unlike previous systems where young athletes had limited chances to compete regularly, the MTN Champs now provides a recurring and standardised platform that aligns more carefully with international development designs.
“This competitors has ended up being an important path for young professional athletes. It enables them to contend regularly, gain exposure, and measure their progress throughout various age levels, which was previously doing not have in Nigeria,” she said.
Officials of the Sports Federation of Nigeria have likewise acknowledged the occasion as an important component within the domestic sports calendar, mentioning its role in talent identification and early-stage professional athlete development.
Plateau State authorities have vowed full assistance for the hosting of the event. The Commissioner for Sports, Musa Ashoms, stated the state government is committed to supplying an enabling environment for the successful staging of the competitors.
He described the champion as an opportunity to showcase Plateau’s sporting capacity while contributing to youth engagement and development.
Similarly, the Commissioner for Education, Kachollom Gang, said the initiative aligns with efforts to promote holistic advancement among students by integrating academic pursuits with sporting quality.
She kept in mind that school-based competitions such as MTN Champs play a crucial function in instilling discipline, teamwork, and aspiration among young people.
In his remarks, the Director of the Plateau State Sports Council, Ezra Gunen, commended MTN for sustaining the programme throughout the years and urged getting involved professional athletes to prioritise their education along with sports.
He cautioned that while sports can provide substantial chances, long-term success requires a balance in between sporting aspiration and scholastic advancement.
The MTN Champs has, over its 4 editions, progressed beyond a traditional school competitors into a structured community for skill discovery. Its organisers have consistently highlighted the importance of early direct exposure, data-driven performance tracking, and access to professional training as crucial aspects in producing world-class athletes.
With the Jos leg now underway, attention will shift to the overall standings, where schools will complete not just for medals but likewise for the significant monetary rewards attached to group performance.
The competitors is expected to conclude on March 28, after which top-performing professional athletes and schools will advance to the last in Ibadan, where the champions of the 2026 MTN Champs season will be crowned.
As the event unfolds, stakeholders say its ongoing expansion signals a growing acknowledgment of the function private-sector financial investment can play in revitalising grassroots sports and building a sustainable pipeline for Nigeria’s future sports success.