Jos – Fresh opportunities for emerging athletics talent are opening up in Jos, Plateau State, as MTN Champs Season Four makes a stop in the city, reinforcing its status as one of Nigeria’s foremost grassroots sports development platforms.

The competition, scheduled for 26 to 28 March 2026 at the New Jos Stadium, is a collaborative initiative between MTN Nigeria and Making of Champions (MoC), aimed at identifying, nurturing and projecting young Nigerian athletes onto national and global stages.

The three-day event is expected to draw thousands of student-athletes, coaches and sports enthusiasts, all competing for awards.

Designed as a schools’ athletics championship, MTN Champs Season Four will feature Cadet (U14), Youth (U17), Junior (U20), and Senior categories, with events spanning sprints, relays and field competitions.

The initiative, which runs across multiple Nigerian cities from March to April, is structured for sustainable sports development and talents exposure.

Addressing journalists and stakeholders ahead of the Jos leg, MTN’s Chief Internal Audit and Forensic Services Officer, Ibe Etea, said the choice of Jos was informed by its rich sporting heritage.

“We have had a previous instalment of the MTN Champs event here, and we are truly grateful for the opportunity to return. We sincerely thank the government representatives and the good people of this great city for hosting us once again,” he said.

Etea described the competition as “a catalyst for national development and youth empowerment.”

Highlighting new incentives introduced in the Season, he stated, “We have introduced new rewards to further encourage excellence. For the schools competing in athletics, the prizes are as follows: First place: N2 million, Second place: N1.5 million, Third place: N1 million and Fourth place: N500,000.”

He disclosed that the initiative has recorded significant growth, with about 20,000 athletes and over 1,500 schools participating nationwide, while 30 outstanding athletes have progressed into the MTN Champs Athletics Academy.

According to him, participants have also secured 14 medals in national competitions and represented Nigeria in the men’s 4x400m relay team.

Also speaking, Yemi Galadima of Making of Champions said the programme has continued to yield positive results, with discovered talents excelling in their respective endeavours and contributing meaningfully to national development.

Sagiru Dandango of the Nigeria School Sports Federation, NSSF commended MTN for extending opportunities to children from underserved communities, enabling them to identify and develop their sporting potential.

Earlier, the Plateau State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Musa Ashoms, represented by Permanent Secretary Kenneth Buenyen, described the initiative as a vital pathway for grooming young athletes, noting that early talent discovery remains critical to the future of sports development.

Similarly, the State Director of Sports, Professor Ezra Gunen, urged young athletes to prioritise education alongside sports saying, “Sports will come to an end by the time you are 30, 31, 32 and you will need something to rely on.”

Other stakeholders, including Oby Ugboma, Ugonna Nwoye and ThankGod Otokpa, described the event as more than a competition, but an investment in youth development, calling for active participation from schools.

Two beneficiaries of the initiative, Benjamin Magaji and Mercy Ugonna, who are promoting a balance between sports and education, shared their experiences.

The duo emphasised the initiative brought them into the limelight and opened up new opportunities in athletics.