MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, in partnership with the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) through its local partner, 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, dedicated to developing home-grown solutions for the nation’s most pressing environmental issues, including climate change, pollution, community conservation and environmental sustainability.
The top 100 innovators were selected from over 2,169 applications received nationwide, following a rigorous multi-stage screening and evaluation process.
The assessment done by 20 expert assessors was guided by a robust set of criteria designed to ensure fairness, equity, and consistency in evaluating all entries.
This framework provided a comparative basis for scoring, enabling the assessors to objectively identify the most promising submissions.
The selection of the nation’s brightest minds proves MTN’s commitment to empowering change-makers dedicated to environmental resilience. Launched in Nigeria in 2024 to accelerate digital transformation, PachiPanda offers participants world-class mentorship, specialised technical workshops, seed funding, and direct access to an extensive network of mentors and industry experts.
The selected cohort spans high-impact sectors, with their solutions predominantly targeted at addressing environmental challenges in Nigeria and the continent.
Following the announcement of the Top 100 shortlist, a more detailed evaluation of the entries will be conducted to determine the final Top 10 finalists.
These finalists will be unveiled ahead of a 3-day sprint pitch event and masterclass scheduled to take place in Lagos in November 2025. During the event week, the finalists will participate in specially curated masterclass sessions designed to sharpen their business acumen, enhance their presentation skills, and refine their solutions for greater impact on the continental stage.
The triumphant winners from the Nigeria PachiPanda Challenge will then progress to the Africa PachiPanda Contest, where they will compete against other national champions from across the continent.
The Nigeria PachiPanda programme spearheads MTN Nigeria’s commitment to protecting our planet through eco-entrepreneurship and environmental sustainability.
By cultivating a pipeline of innovative African green enterprises, we are empowering youths and youth-led SMEs to develop solutions that tackle local environmental challenges and advance sustainability across the continent.
