The MTN mPulse Spelling Bee 2026 is now open to eligible Nigerian students between the ages of 9 and 15. The annual competition gives young students an opportunity to demonstrate their spelling ability, improve their English language skills and compete for scholarships, cash , gadgets and other rewards.
The 2026 edition will feature online qualifying rounds followed by physical regional competitions and a grand finale in Lagos. The overall winner will also receive the title of MTN One Day CEO and mPulse Face for the Year.
The competition is open to students in both public and private primary and secondary schools across Nigeria, and participation is free.
MTN mPulse Spelling Bee 2026
Organizer: MTN Nigeria Communications Plc
Category: Educational Competition / Spelling Bee
Eligible Country: Nigeria
Eligible Students: Primary and secondary school students
Age Requirement: 9–15 years
Application Fee: Free
Application Deadline: October 4, 2026, at 11:59 PM
Eligibility Requirements
To participate in the 2026 MTN mPulse Spelling Bee, applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Must be a boy or girl currently enrolled in a primary or secondary school in Nigeria.
- Must be between 9 and 15 years old.
- The student must not be more than 15 years old when the competition begins on August 3, 2026.
- Students from both public and private schools are eligible.
- The student must register as a student on the mPulse website.
- A parent or legal guardian must provide the required consent for the student's participation.
- Only one entry per parent for a contestant is permitted.
- Applicants who have previously emerged as a champion or runner-up in an mPulse or MTN-sponsored national spelling bee are not eligible.
- All information supplied during registration must be accurate and verifiable.
MTN may request documents to verify the student's age, identity, school or other information provided during registration. False information, fraudulent documents or misrepresentation can result in disqualification.
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Explanation of MTN mPulse Spelling Bee 2026
What Are the Prizes?
The MTN mPulse Spelling Bee 2026 comes with substantial rewards for outstanding students, their teachers and schools.
1st Prize
The overall winner will receive:
- ₦5 million scholarship grant
- 1 laptop
- 1 smartphone
- mPulse goody bag
- MTN CEO for a Day experience
- mPulse Face for the Year recognition
The winner's school will also receive a ₦10 million flagship gift, including an ICT laboratory equipped with 10 laptops and 10 MTN 5G routers.
The winner's teacher will receive ₦500,000 cash.
2nd Prize
The second-place student will receive:
- ₦2.5 million scholarship grant
- 1 laptop
- 1 smartphone
- mPulse goody bag
The student's teacher will receive ₦300,000 cash.
3rd Prize
The third-place student will receive:
- ₦1.5 million scholarship grant
- 1 laptop
- 1 smartphone
- mPulse goody bag
- The student's teacher will receive ₦200,000 cash.
4th–10th Finalists
Each finalist from 4th to 10th position will receive:
- ₦500,000 cash prize
- mPulse goody bag
11th–20th Finalists
Each finalist from 11th to 20th position will receive:
- ₦200,000 cash prize
- mPulse goody bag
There is also a ₦1 million regional prize for the top participating school in each region, subject to the competition's requirement of at least 100 participants from the school.
How the MTN mPulse Spelling Bee Works
The 2026 competition consists of online and physical stages.
Round 1: Online Spelling Competition
The first round runs from August 3 to October 4, 2026.
Participants will answer 10 spelling questions through the mPulse website.
The highest-scoring contestants will progress to the next stage. MTN will select the first 500 contestants from each of Nigeria's six regions, making a total of 3,000 contestants, for Round 2.
Round 2: Online Competition
The second round will take place from October 12 to October 18, 2026 and will be available only to contestants who successfully qualify from Round 1.
Participants in this stage will answer 20 spelling questions.
The strongest contestants will then proceed to the physical regional competitions.
Regional Competitions
The next stage will be held physically in Abeokuta, Abuja and Port Harcourt.
The top contestants from the six regions will compete at these regional events, from which the finalists for the grand finale will be selected.
Grand Finale
The final stage will bring the top 20 verified contestants together for the grand finale in Lagos.
The ultimate winner will be crowned the MTN mPulse Spelling Bee champion and receive the major student prize package, including the ₦5 million scholarship grant and MTN One Day CEO experience
Important Registration Requirements
Parents or guardians are responsible for providing consent for the child's participation.
During registration, the student's profile must be properly completed. This includes information such as the student's photograph, correct email address, state of participation and school details.
The student's phone number must also be linked with the parent's phone number as required by the competition.
For a contestant to be eligible to win prizes, the parent or guardian's phone number used for registration must be on the MTN mPulse tariff plan.
Parents should therefore ensure that the registration information is correct and complete before submitting the entry.
How to Apply for MTN mPulse Spelling Bee 2026
Interested students should register through the official MTN mPulse Spelling Bee platform.
CLICK HERE TO APPLY JOIN WHATSAPP FOR MORE
There is no application fee.
How Students Can Prepare
Students can improve their chances by regularly practising spelling and vocabulary before the competition.
Reading books, newspapers and other educational materials can help students encounter new words. It is also useful to write down difficult words and practise spelling them repeatedly.
Parents, teachers and guardians can conduct practice spelling tests at home or in school. Students should also practise listening carefully to words and identifying the correct spelling.
Since the first and second rounds are completed online, participants should also ensure that they have a reliable internet connection and a suitable device before beginning the quiz.
Important Deadline
The first round of the MTN mPulse Spelling Bee 2026 closes on:
October 4, 2026, at 11:59 PM.
Interested students should complete their registration and participate before the closing time. Entries submitted after the deadline will not be considered for the competition.
Scholarship Safety Alert: Protect Yourself From Scams
Scholarship applicants should be extremely careful when applying for educational opportunities online.
Fake scholarship schemes can be created to collect applicants' personal information, banking details or money.
Before applying for any other scholarship, verify that you are using the organisation's official website and application channel.
Never Provide Your BVN on a Scholarship Application
Do not provide your Bank Verification Number (BVN) simply because a scholarship application form requests it.
Applicants should be especially cautious about forms requesting sensitive banking information such as the following:
- BVN
- ATM PIN
- Debit card PIN
- Online banking password
- OTP
- Internet banking login details
Never give your OTP, ATM PIN or banking password to anyone claiming to be processing your scholarship.
Be Careful With Payment Demands
A common scholarship scam involves asking applicants to make a payment before they can apply or before their scholarship can be released.
Be cautious of people demanding the following:
- Application fees
- Processing fees
- Registration fees
- Verification fees
- Shortlisting fees
- Interview fees
- "Activation" fees
- Payment to secure a scholarship slot
If someone contacts you privately and demands money to guarantee your selection, verify the claim directly through the organisation's official website.
Do Not Pay Someone to Guarantee Selection
No individual should be trusted simply because they claim to have connections with a scholarship organisation.
Be especially cautious of statements such as the following:
- "Pay me and I will make sure you are selected."
- "I know someone inside the foundation."
- "Send the money now because the scholarship slots are almost finished."
These are common warning signs associated with scholarship scams.
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