If anyone had told a young Kate Ene David that she would someday become the Chief Executive Officer of one of Nigeria’s most valuable companies, she most likely would have laughed it off and say “in your dreams”.
“I have a few more years to study, graduate from a tertiary institution, join the labor market, and work my way to the top,” she would have said at best.
There is no need for speculations anymore because the 14-year-old Nasarawa teen will resume at MTN Nigeria’s corporate headquarters in Lagos on February 1, 2023, as the company’s One-day CEO.
The young CEO will be welcomed to the HQ by the Chief Human Resources Officer, Esther Akinnukawe, and will be given a tour of MTN Nigeria’s corporate headquarters in a move that is sure to leave a lasting impression in the hearts and minds of many young people across the country.
Kate Ene-David earned her position as the ICT giant’s One-Day CEO after winning the 2022 MTN mPulse Spelling Bee Competition. She competed against 19 other top finalists and won by spelling the word ‘acquiesce’ correctly.
Aside from her role as one-day CEO, the SS2 student at Christ School received a N2.5m scholarship grant, a laptop, and a smartphone. Her English teacher and school were also given N350,000 grants and cutting-edge ICT equipment, respectively. All 19 finalists received exciting prizes, with the first and second runners-up receiving scholarships, grants, and other gifts.
Kate will no doubt go down in history as one of the youngest CEOs ever in Nigeria. It is a dream for many to work in a blue-chip multinational company, talk less of heading one, but for a 14-year-old to chair the affairs of one even for 24 hours, it is no mean feat.
Congratulations Kate Ene David and thanks to the MTN MPulse Spelling Bee and MTN Nigeria for making this possible.
