By Ayomide Otitoju
MTN Group has reaffirmed its commitment to youth engagement and digital empowerment following its involvement in “The Gathering on 100,” a 100-hour creativity and innovation showcase driven by young Nigerians.
The initiative, held under MTN’s “Year of the Youth” focus, brought together ideas, performances, pitch sessions, and creative expression across fashion, technology, entrepreneurship, and the arts, highlighting what organisers described as raw youth energy and innovation.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, MTN’s Chief Marketing Officer, Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, said the company’s support for the initiative was rooted in its belief that young people do not wait for opportunities but actively create their own platforms.
She noted that the concept behind the event aligns with MTN’s vision of enabling expression, co-creation, and self-discovery among young people, rather than prescribing how they should engage or succeed.
Ikenna-Emeka added that with nearly 70 per cent of Nigerian youths active in digital spaces, relevance for brands and institutions lies in meeting them where they are and supporting their creativity and enterprise.
She highlighted activities at the event, including pitch sessions featuring ideas in artificial intelligence, fintech, agriculture, and education, alongside creative showcases in fashion, art, gaming, beauty, and sports.
According to her, the youth ecosystem contains significant untapped potential, stressing that the role of MTN is to provide the enabling platform for that potential to be realised.
The company described “The Gathering on 100” as a space for discovery, collaboration, and amplification of youth voices, noting that its participation reflects a broader commitment to supporting innovation and digital culture.
MTN added that its focus remains on empowering young people and powering platforms that enable them to express themselves, innovate, and shape their own futures.
