MTN Nigeria, in partnership with the WorldWide Fund for Nature (WWF) through its local partner Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF), has kicked-off the Nigeria PachiPanda Challenge.
This initiative is part of the Africa PachiPanda Challenge designed to stimulate and champion innovative solutions that address urgent environmental challenges across the continent.
The Nigeria PachiPanda Challenge is an open call to young visionaries (aged 16 – 35) and youth-led SMEs to conceptualise and develop pioneering solutions to environmental challenges specific to Nigeria. Participants can either be individuals or teams, each comprising up to three members. The top ten finalist teams will embark on a transformative 3-day sprint event, immersing themselves in a human-centred design process.
The event will culminate in a pitch session where teams present their ground-breaking solutions to a distinguished panel of industry experts. The triumphant teams from the Nigeria PachiPanda Challenge will then advance to the grand stage, competing against other national victors from other participating countries in the Africa PachiPanda contest.
Speaking on it, chief corporate services and sustainability officer of MTN Nigeria Tobe Okigbo said: “Nigeria is brimming with young talent eager to make a difference. The Nigeria PachiPanda Challenge is a golden opportunity for these bright minds to channel their creativity into tangible solutions that can reshape our environmental landscape for the better.”
Echoing these sentiments, director-general of NCF Joseph Onoja added, “Collaboration is the cornerstone of impactful change. By joining forces with MTN, we aim to amplify the voices of our youth, turning their innovative ideas into actionable solutions that can safeguard our planet for future generations.”
More than a competition, the Nigeria PachiPanda Challenge is a movement that galvanises participants to think unconventionally, craft solutions that address immediate environmental challenges, and play an active role in ensuring the long-term sustainability of their communities.
