MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, in partnership with the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) through the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Nigeria, has shortlisted 100 young Nigerian innovators for the second phase of the Nigeria PachiPanda Challenge, an initiative dedicated to developing home-grown solutions to the country’s most pressing environmental challenges.
The programme focuses on key sustainability areas such as climate change, pollution control, community conservation, and environmental resilience.
The top 100 innovators were selected from a pool of over 2,169 applications received across Nigeria, following a rigorous multi-stage screening process conducted by 20 expert assessors. The evaluation was based on a detailed set of criteria ensuring fairness, consistency, and equity, leading to the selection of the most promising and innovative entries.
The selection underscores MTN’s growing commitment to empowering young change-makers who are driving Nigeria’s environmental transformation. Launched in 2024 to accelerate digital innovation for sustainability, the PachiPanda programme provides participants with world-class mentorship, technical workshops, seed funding, and access to an expansive network of industry experts and environmental leaders.
The selected cohort spans diverse high-impact sectors, with solutions designed to address Nigeria’s environmental challenges and contribute to the broader continental sustainability agenda.
According to the organisers, a further evaluation will be conducted to identify the final Top 10 innovators who will advance to a three-day sprint pitch event and masterclass scheduled for November 2025 in Lagos. The finalists will undergo intensive business and presentation training to refine their solutions for greater social and environmental impact.
The top winners of the Nigeria PachiPanda Challenge will then proceed to represent the country at the Africa PachiPanda Contest, where they will compete with other national champions from across the continent.
MTN described the initiative as part of its long-term sustainability strategy, aimed at promoting eco-entrepreneurship and empowering youth-led small and medium enterprises to deliver innovative solutions for a greener future.
Through the PachiPanda platform, MTN and its partners are building a new generation of environmentally conscious innovators equipped to drive local action and continental progress toward sustainability.
