L-R: Class Social Secretary, MTN MIP Cohort 5, Collins Christopher; Class President, MTN MIP Cohort 5, Veronica Dan-Ikpoyi; Executive Director, MTN Foundation, Odunayo Sanya; Course Director, MTN MIP, Dr. Chike Mgbadichie; Class Secretary, MTN MIP Cohort 5, Chiamaka Dike and Class Vice President, MTN MIP Cohort 5, David Eluemunor during the MTN Foundation session with the MIP Fellows at the Pan-Atlantic University recently in Lagos.
The Executive Director of the MTN Foundation, Odunayo Sanya, has called for a broader measure of private-sector contribution to national development, saying businesses should be assessed not only by their commercial success but also by the lasting impact they create through investments in people and communities.
Sanya made the call while addressing fellows of the fifth cohort of the MTN Media Innovation Programme (MTN MIP-5), where she said the private sector has a critical role to play in addressing Nigeria’s social and economic challenges.
She argued that corporate social investment should be viewed as a driver of sustainable development rather than merely an extension of business operations.
“It is important that people understand what a company like MTN is doing, especially through the MTN Foundation, which is the corporate social investment vehicle for MTN Nigeria,” she said.
“We need to be able to see, and almost quantify, the contributions of the private sector beyond revenue generation and service delivery.”
According to her, initiatives delivered through the MTN Foundation demonstrate how businesses can create value beyond profit by investing in education, capacity development and community advancement.
Since its inception in 2004, the MTN Foundation has invested more than ¦ 34.4 billion in social impact initiatives across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The Foundation has implemented 54 transformative projects across 590 local government areas, positively impacting more than 32.2 million people in 3,610 communities nationwide.
The interventions are delivered across the Foundation’s three key thematic areas of Health, Education, and Economic Empowerment, reflecting its commitment to sustainable national development and shared prosperity.
“For us at the Foundation, everything is about our communities. “The Foundation is at the heart of MTN. It reflects who MTN truly is and our commitment to contributing to the development of communities across Nigeria.”
She cited the MTN Media Innovation Programme as an example of how corporate social investment can create long-term value by equipping media professionals with the knowledge, skills and exposure required to thrive in an evolving industry.
Sanya said the impact of such investments should extend beyond their immediate recipients, noting that their true value lies in how participants apply what they have learned to create opportunities for others and contribute to national development.
“What privilege confers on us all is that we don’t leave other people behind. We go back, we pay it forward, and at every point we’re pulling someone along towards their goals,” she said.
The MTN Media Innovation Programme, organised by MTN Nigeria in partnership with the School of Media and Communication, Pan-Atlantic University, equips media practitioners and digital content creators with the knowledge, skills and industry exposure needed to navigate the evolving media landscape while fostering innovation across the media ecosystem.
