Funso Aina, MTN Nigeria's Senior Manager, External Relations, has been announced 'Innovator of the Year' in the brands category at the SABRE IN2 awards.

The SABRE IN2 awards recognise works that highlights the expanding scope of the PR profession, from content creation to the evaluation process using data and analytics to inform, enhance and evaluate campaign successes across the globe.

The award was presented at the PRovoke EMEA Summit in Gesellschaftshaus Palmengarten Frankfurt, Germany.

Funso, a member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), and a corporate communication professional with over two decades of experience emerged top across Europe, the Middle East and the African region (EMEA).

Presenting the award, Arun Sudhaman, CEO/Editor-in-chief, PRovoke Media, said the award category spotlights professionals in agencies and brands that empower and enable reputation excellence within their organisations.

MTN, in a statement, said the award is a testament to Funso's trailblazing efforts in media relations, through MTN Nigeria's Media Innovation Programme (MIP), a six-month certificate programme for Nigerian media practitioners to increase the knowledge and skill base of the participants, help them understand the changing media landscape and how to effectively use technology to create impactful media content in the country and Africa at large.

Commenting on the award, Aina said, "I am grateful for the recognition from SABRE and its dedication to acknowledging exceptional content produced by modern PR professionals. This award is inspiring for all of us at MTN; it emboldens our commitment to improving the media landscape and implementing our 'Good Together' initiative.

"I am convinced we still have feats to achieve in the industry, and with strategic thinking, we will cover even more grounds."