The 2025 Edge Awards became a landmark moment for MTN Nigeria as the company and three of its executives emerged as standout winners.
At the prestigious ceremony, held at the Balmoral Event Hall in Lagos MTN Nigeria was named Brand of the Year, reaffirming its reputation as one of Africa’s most admired and influential companies.
Adding to the celebrations, chief Marketing officer, Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, was recognised as Brand Personality of the Year; Funso Aina, Senior Manager, External Relations, received the award for Outstanding Public Relations and Corporate Communications Personality of the Decade, while Lakinbofa Goodluck, Public Relations Manager, was named Outstanding Public Relations Personality of the Decade.
The recognition comes against the backdrop of MTN Nigeria’s strong performance in 2025. According to its Half Year 2025 results, the company recorded N2.4 trillion in service revenue and N83.2 billion profit after tax, despite operating in a challenging macroeconomic environment. Data revenue grew by 8.6 per cent year-on-year, supported by 44.6 million active data users, while fintech revenue increased by 21.4 per cent, underlining MTN Nigeria’s role as a driver of digital and financial inclusion.
The executives’ individual journeys reflect the company’s people-first culture. Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, a Fellow of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN), has over 25 years of experience spanning telecommunications, logistics, and education.
The event, themed: ‘Excellence Beyond Borders,’ attracted leading voices in advertising, marketing, and integrated communications (IMC). The wins were widely viewed as a strong reflection of MTN Nigeria’s leadership, its depth of talent, and its enduring culture of innovation.
Funso Aina, a seasoned communications professional with a career spanning journalism, cultural diplomacy, and corporate relations, also reflected on the significance of the awards: “This award wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the incredibly exceptional team I am privileged to work with at MTN. I thank you al.l”
Prior to becoming chief marketing officer, she served as chief broadband officer, growing MTN Nigeria’s fixed broadband subscriber base to over three million. She is also an international speaker on women in leadership and technology, and a doctoral candidate at Cranfield University in the UK.
Funso Aina, who joined MTN Nigeria in 2009, has been central to stakeholder engagement, perception management, and reputation building. His earlier career at Punch Newspapers, The Nation, and The News earned him international recognition, including fellowships with the U.S. State Department and the Commonwealth Press Union. Today, he is widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s foremost corporate communications leaders.
Lakinbofa Goodluck, recognised as Outstanding Public Relations Personality of the Decade, represents the new guard of PR leadership. Since joining MTN Nigeria in 2018, he has risen through the ranks to become Public Relations Manager, operating at the intersection of corporate strategy, public perception, and digital influence. .
Together, the honours for Onyinye, Funso, and Lakinbofa highlight MTN Nigeria’s culture of leadership and its commitment to people development.
According to the company’s 2024 Annual Report, 374 employees benefitted from leadership development programmes last year, while 82 high-potential staff advanced through the Aspire Leadership Programme.
