MTN Nigeria, in collaboration with WWF and the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, has launched the Nigeria PachiPanda Challenge. This initiative invites young entrepreneurs aged 16 to 35 to develop innovative solutions to environmental challenges in Nigeria. Participants will have the opportunity to compete locally and continentally, fostering environmental awareness and entrepreneurship.

[dropcap]M[/dropcap]TN Nigeria, in partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), has launched the ‘Nigeria PachiPanda Challenge’.

This initiative encourages young entrepreneurs and youth-led small enterprises, aged 16 to 35, to devise innovative solutions addressing Nigeria’s pressing environmental issues.

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The Nigeria PachiPanda Challenge aims to harness the creativity of Nigeria’s youth, providing them with a platform to develop and present groundbreaking ideas.

Tobe Okigbo, MTN Nigeria’s chief corporate services and sustainability officer, emphasised the importance of this initiative in shaping a more sustainable future through youth empowerment.

“Nigeria is brimming with young talent eager to make a difference,” Okigbo said, encouraging the country’s youth to seize this opportunity.

Joseph Onoja, director-general of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, stressed the significance of collaboration in creating impactful change.

“By joining forces with MTN, we aim to amplify the voices of our youth,” Onoja remarked, pointing out the importance of innovative ideas in safeguarding the environment.

The competition invites participants to develop creative solutions that address local environmental challenges, from waste management to renewable energy.

Individuals or teams of up to three members can enter, and the top ten finalists will be immersed in a three-day sprint event focusing on a human-centred design approach.

This intensive process will refine their ideas before presenting them to a panel of experts.

Winners of the Nigeria PachiPanda Challenge will gain national recognition and proceed to the Africa PachiPanda contest, where they will compete against other champions from across the continent.