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Etisalat Unveils 2014 Prize for Literature Panel of Judges
Etisalat Nigeria, has announced the judging panel for the second edition of its prestigious literary prize the Etisalat Prize for Literature.
Chaired by Sarah Ladipo Manyika, a renowned Nigerian writer, the distinguished panel consists of award winning British/Sudanese writer Jamal Mahjoub, prolific Francophone writer Alain Mabanckou and writer and filmmaker Tsitsi Dangarembga.
Matthew Willsher, chief executive officer, Etisalat Nigeria, said the judges for this year’s prize are some of the most respected individuals in the literary world and they will bring in diverse experiences and expertise to the judging panel.
“What is most exciting is that we have a very diverse panel that will bring in their individual perspectives to the judging process. They are an accomplished panel with vast amount of experience in the creative writing world,” he said.
Chair Sarah Ladipo Manyika holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, and currently teaches literature at San Francisco State University.
Her writing includes essays, academic papers, reviews and short stories.
Sarah’s first novel, Independence, is published by Legend Press (London) and Cassava Republic Press (Abuja). Sarah was one of the inaugural Judges for Etisalat Prize for Literature 2013.
Jamal Mahjoub is an award winning writer of mixed British/Sudanese heritage.
Born in London, he was raised in Khartoum where the family remained until 1990.
He is also an award-winning novelist, translator and essayist.
Jamal Mahjoub reflect on notions of ancient Egypt in modern life and art. He was awarded a scholarship to study in England and attended the University of Sheffield.
He has lived in various countries including the UK, Denmark and currently, Spain. He writes in English and has published seven novels under his own name.
In 2012, Mahjoub began writing a series of crime fiction novels under the pseudonym Parker Bilal.
Alain Mabanckou is considered to be one of the most talented and prolific writers in the French language today and the first francophone sub-Saharan African writer to be published by Gallimard in its prestigious “collection” called La Blanche.
He is mostly known for his novels, notably Verre Cassé (BROKEN GLASS) which was unanimously praised by the press, critics and readers alike.
In 2006 he published Memoires de porc-épic (Memoirs of a Porcupine) which garnered him the Prix RENAUDOT, one of the highest distinctions in literature written in French. His novels are published in more than fifteen languages.
Tsitsi Dangarembga is a contemporary African feminist. She published a short story in Sweden entitled “The Letter” and in 1987, she published a play in Harare entitled “She No Longer Weeps.”
Her real success came at age twenty-five with the publication of her novel Nervous Conditions. This novel was the first to be published in English by a black Zimbabwean woman.
In 1989, Nervous Conditions won her the African section of the Commonwealth Writers Prize.
She had made many film productions, including a documentary for German television. She made the film entitled Everyone’s Child in 1996.
It was shown worldwide at various festivals including the Dublin Film Festival. In 2006, she published The Book of Not: A Sequel to Nervous Conditions.
Now in its second year, the Etisalat Prize for Literature is the first Pan-African prize for debut fiction writers of African citizenship.
The Prize was launched in June 2013 and has become one of Africa’s most prestigious literary prizes for fiction.
Zimbabwean NoViolet Bulawayo was the winner of the maiden edition with her debut Fiction novel Bom Boy. She received £15,000 in Prize money and a fellowship at the Unversity of East Anglia in the United Kingdom which she gifted to runner-up Yewande Omotoso.
The Etisalat Prize for Literature is the first ever pan-African prize to applaud first time writers of published fiction.
The Etisalat Prize was founded in June 2013 and has a board of patrons which include some of Africa’s finest intellectuals.
Submitted works must be the writer’s first fiction book of over 30,000 words and published within the last twenty-four months.
The winner of the prize receives £15,000 and an Etisalat sponsored Fellowship at the prestigious University of East Anglia.
In just 5 years of operations, Etisalat Nigeria has become a major industry player with a growing subscriber base of 19 million in a highly competitive market.
Its portfolio of voice and data-centric products include – easy starter, easycliq, easybusiness, and easyblaze; all tailor-made to meet the needs of its customers.
Etisalat Nigeria is one of the 15 operations of the Etisalat Group that spans across Africa, Middle East and Asia serving over 150 million subscribers; and it is committed to delivering innovative and quality services to its growing subscribers.
Airtel Africa Foundation, through Airtel Nigeria, has marked International Volunteer Day 2025 by celebrating the impact of the Employee Volunteer Programme (EVP), a flagship initiative by which employees volunteer their time, expertise, and personal resources to advancing the Foundation’s mission across 14 African markets.
The celebration brought together volunteers at the Airtel Nigeria Headquarters in Lagos for moments of team bonding activities, testimonials, and volunteer spotlights. The event also served as a call to action, encouraging more employees to register for EVP activities and join the volunteer community.
The EVP has become a cornerstone of Airtel Africa Foundation’s community impact, empowering employees to drive local CSR initiatives and champion causes that promote education, digital skills, environmental responsibility, and youth empowerment. Through the programme, volunteers have contributed significantly to initiatives such as the International Day of Education Essay Competition, Teacher-for-a-Day sessions, beach clean-ups, market sensitisation exercises to reduce plastic waste, and the Airtel-3MTT NextGen Fellowship for young Nigerians.
Speaking about the celebration, Dinesh Balsingh, Airtel Nigeria Chief Executive Officer, said, “International Volunteer Day reminds us that real impact begins with people who are willing to show up and serve. Today we honour the incredible dedication of Airtel employees, whose selfless commitment of time and talent is the engine behind our progress. Their contribution is the backbone of our work and the reason we continue to transform communities across Africa.”
Over the years, the EVP in Nigeria has delivered tangible outcomes through numerous impactful initiatives such as financial donations to the Lagos State Government COVID-19 control efforts. In 2025 alone, volunteers have contributed more than 200 hours of service, reaching over 100,000 beneficiaries.
Commenting on the commitment of Airtel Nigeria’s employees, Femi Adeniran, Director, Corporate Communications & CSR, said, “Volunteering is at the heart of who we are. Behind every empowered learner, every restored environment, and every connected community is an individual who believed in making a difference, and we are thankful for your participation. Our mission remains clear: to use technology, resources, and our collective humanity to build a digitally inclusive, socially responsible, and sustainable Africa.”
International Volunteer Day provides a global moment to honour volunteers whose contributions often go unseen but deliver lasting impact. As its EVP continues to grow, Airtel Africa Foundation remains committed to expanding access to education, digital literacy, environmental care, and opportunities for underserved communities across the continent.
Nigerian creators have emerged dominant at the 2025 TikTok Awards for Sub-Saharan Africa, winning six of the ten categories at the ceremony held in Johannesburg, South Africa.
TikTok Sub-Saharan Africa Awards
The awards, themed “New Era, New Icons”, celebrated outstanding creativity across the continent, with Nigeria’s victories underscoring its growing influence in digital culture and entertainment.
Raja’atu Muhammed Ibrahim, known as @diaryofanortherncook, from Sokoto, won the prestigious Creator of the Year Award, recognised for her cinematic storytelling of Northern Nigerian cuisine. Abuja-based Brian Nwana (@briannwana) clinched Storyteller of the Year, while Izzi Boye (@izziboye) was named Education Creator of the Year.
Other Nigerian winners included Belove Olocha (@beloveolocha) for Entertainment Creator of the Year, Dejoke Ogunbiyi (@noositiwantiwa_) for Social Impact Creator of the Year, and Crown Uzama, popularly known as Shallipopi (@theycallmeshallipopipp), who took home Artist of the Year.
Shallipopi, whose hit track “Laho” dominated African soundwaves in 2025, thanked TikTok for supporting upcoming artists and providing a platform to shine. “When Nigeria creates, the world moves,” he told fans during his acceptance speech.
TikTok’s Head of Content Operations for Sub-Saharan Africa, Boniswa Sidwaba, praised the winners, noting that Nigerian creators had redefined what it means to be a digital storyteller. “Tonight’s ceremony was a gathering of trailblazers who turned short video clips into cultural movements,” she said.
Other winners from across the continent included Tanzania’s Fanuel John Masamaki (@zerobrainer0), who won Video of the Year, Kenya’s @tunero_animations as Rising Star of the Year, South Africa’s @malumfoodie for Food Creator of the Year, and Kenya’s @zozasportscast for Sports Creator of the Year.
The ceremony, supported by brands such as NIVEA, Coca-Cola, PEP, inDrive and Dis-Chem, will be broadcast exclusively on TikTok LIVE on Dec. 11 at 19:00 WAT via the @tiktok.africa account.
MTN Nigeria has announced the winners of the 2025 Nigeria PachiPanda Challenge, a national innovation programme delivered in partnership with Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) through its local partner, the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Nigeria.
L – R: Promise Ogochukwu, OneGrid Energies; Emmanuel Ezea, OneGrid Energies, Lantana Elhassan, Head of Exploration, Accelerator Lab, UNDP Nigeria; Valentine Nnamani, OneGrid Energies; trio winner of the MTN 2025 Pachipanda Challenge, held at MTN RoofTop Plaza, Ikoyi.
The competition attracted over 2000 applications from young innovators across the country and concluded with a 3-day sprint event that featured masterclasses and pitch presentations at the MTN Rooftop Event Centre, Falomo, Ikoyi, Lagos. Ten finalists, comprising seven individuals and three teams, competed for top honours following a rigorous multi-stage screening process.
Team OneGrid Energies emerged overall winner for its solution that addresses energy access in underserved communities. The team of Emmanuel Ezea, Ogochukwu Ogene, and Valentine Nnamani upcycle plastic bottles and e-waste lithium ion batteries to create affordable lanterns for households without reliable electricity. The team also introduced smart solar-powered charging stations operated by rural women, creating economic opportunities and supporting environmental impact.
Joshua Ndaman secured second place with his innovative solution, BuyScrap, a tech-driven platform that streamlines the collection and recycling of electronic waste. By ensuring that discarded electronics are ethically reused and repurposed, BuyScrap supports a circular economy and provides a reliable link between households and processors in the e-waste value chain.
Divine Peter secured third place with HopeForge Engineering, an initiative that designs and produces affordable recycling equipment for green businesses using recyclable materials. His focus on automating traditional manual equipment aims to increase productivity and make sustainable tools more accessible for small and medium-sized enterpriOlayinkases.
The winners received ₦3,000,000, ₦2,000,000, and ₦1,500,000 respectively. They will now represent Nigeria at the Africa PachiPanda Challenge where they will compete against champions from across the continent.
Tobe Okigbo, Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer at MTN Nigeria, emphasised the importance of youth-led innovation in advancing climate action and community resilience. “Innovation should go beyond solving problems; it should be bankable and sustainable, ensuring long-term value for both society and the innovators themselves,” he noted.
Dr. Joseph Onoja, Director-General of NCF, praised the creativity of the finalists, stating, “Every finalist here is a winner, and we will continue to work with partners like MTN, UNDP, and WWF to nurture these ideas and build a better future for Nigeria.”
Representing UNDP Nigeria, Lantana Elhassan, Head of Exploration, Accelerator Lab, described the potential of the finalists’ solutions to inspire systemic change across Africa’s innovation landscape. She highlighted the role of tech tools in helping participants improve their prototypes and scale their solutions.
During the event week, finalists received tailored training through masterclass sessions that enhance their business skills and strengthened their solutions. Facilitators included Bankole Oloruntoba, CEO, Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre (NCIC); Chinwe Udo-Davis, Founder & CEO, Instollar; Nifemi Oluboyede, Chief Product Officer, Credit Direct; and Uche Aniche, Founder, Rebel Seed Capital & Convener, Startup South.
Judges comprised experts in sustainability and innovation including Dr. Tiwalade Adeniyi, Head of ESG, Solon; Dr. William Tsuma, Chief Innovation Officer, UNDP Nigeria; Maximus Ugwuoke, Country Director, Carbon Craft Africa; Peju Ibekwe, CEO, Sterling One Foundation; Temitope Okunnu, Founder, Fabe International; and Yewande Adeyi, Senior Manager, ESG Advisory Services, KPMG West Africa.
The Africa-wide finals will bring together leading innovators from across the continent to showcase their work to industry experts and investors.
For more information and updates on the winners’ journey, visit https://www.mtn.ng/sustainability or contact [email protected]
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