The Kano edition of MTN Nigeria’s youth-focused initiative, the “100 Gathering,” brought together a vibrant mix of young innovators, entrepreneurs, artists, and digital creators to foster collaboration and showcase regional talent.

According to Abu-Sufyan Aliyu, MTN’s Senior Manager of Sales for the Northeast Region, the program is deliberately designed to provide a supportive ecosystem where young people can network, discover their potential, and engineer creative solutions to localized community challenges.

Having previously launched in Lagos, Enugu, and Aba, the Kano event underscores the telecommunications company’s ongoing commitment to celebrating and backing the rich demographic diversity of Nigeria’s youth.

The innovation platform featured interactive events ranging from competitive gaming and live art exhibitions to business pitch sessions designed to inject direct financial support into promising start-ups.

In the cornerstone pitch competition, Samiat Yusuf, the co-founder of a program management software named Applicant, won the top cash prize of 2.5 million Naira. The second and third-place innovators walked away with 1.5 million Naira and 1 million Naira respectively, providing them with critical early-stage capital to scale their enterprises, expand local hiring, and improve product delivery across the country.