MTN Nigeria PachiPanda Challenge 2025 (Win Up to ₦3,000,000)

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Applications are open for MTN Nigeria PachiPanda Challenge 2025. MTN Nigeria Communications Plc in partnership with the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) through its local partner, the Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Nigeria have launched the Nigeria PachiPanda Challenge, an innovation challenge designed to provide young people and youth-led SMEs the opportunity to develop innovative, long-term solutions and ideas to pressing environmental challenges and promote sustainability in Nigeria.

The challenge is part of the MTN’s Africa PachiPanda Challenge, designed to stimulate and champion innovative solutions that address urgent environmental challenges across the continent, in line with MTN’s climate entrepreneurship mandate and the group-wide sustainability strategy “Ambition 2025.”

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.

The PachiPanda Challenge will:

Discover and incubate young people and youth-led SMEs with innovative and sustainable solutions in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Increase the participation of young people in environmental sustainability in Nigeria and provide a springboard platform for growth in terms of rewarding and scaling their innovation.
Enhance young people’s knowledge of environmental challenges and community-led sustainable solutions.
Provide an opportunity for young people to participate and showcase their creativity, problem-solving skills, and commitment to sustainability.
Support innovative and sustainable solutions for environmental challenges, including climate adaptation and mitigation measures.
Demonstrate how partnership between corporate sector players like MTN and NPOs can drive significant progress in addressing environmental challenges.

MTN Nigeria PachiPanda Challenge Statements

The PachiPanda Challenge invites young entrepreneurs and SMEs from Nigeria (university and college students) to enter their solutions to the challenge statements on:

Pollution [solutions focusing on improved waste management]
- Our activities generate large amounts of waste, with dump sites a common sight in our cities, towns and villages. Despite best efforts at waste management, waste still constitutes significant pollution threats across Nigeria with attendant health and environmental risks.
- How can you innovatively transform waste management in Nigeria to reduce pollution, address health and environmental hazards and build sustainability? You can share solutions for business or industrial sectors, behavioural, artistic and tech solutions.
Climate Change [solutions focusing on the reduction of greenhouse gases]
- Human activities emit greenhouse gases – mainly carbon dioxide and methane, which are the major drivers of climate change. The effects of climate change include, among others, severe drought, water scarcity, rising sea levels, flooding and biodiversity loss.
- How can you inspire innovative solutions in Nigeria’s homes and businesses to reduce emissions, fight climate change and build resilience?
Community Conservation [Solutions focusing on biodiversity protection and community-led conservation efforts for improved livelihood]
- Conservation is most powerful when it is people-driven, designed to improve livelihood and well-being. Across Nigeria, local communities live closest to nature and hold traditional knowledge and practices that can protect ecosystems. Yet, these same communities often face poverty, limited infrastructure, and restricted access to education or resources, factors that can lead to unsustainable environmental practices.
- How can you co-create a future where communities are empowered to lead conservation efforts, drive change through communal wisdom, innovation, and stewardship?

MTN Nigeria PachiPanda Challenge Prizes

First (1st) Position – ₦ 3,000,000
Second (2nd) Position – ₦ 2,000,000
Third (3rd) Position – ₦ 1,500,000

The top winner/s will be representing Nigeria at the Grand Finale in South Africa, along with winners from other countries.

Rules and Eligibility Criteria:

The Challenge is open to individuals or teams residing in Nigeria.
Participants should be between 18 and 35.
You may participate as an individual or form a team of a maximum of three members.
Young entrepreneurs or youth-led SMEs with early or idea stage solutions are free to participate, with a maximum of three members.
All participants must register online and submit entries through the designated portal before the deadline.
Participants should provide accurate and complete personal information during registration.
MTN Nigeria, Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Nigeria employees, and their immediate families are not eligible to participate.
Participants found in violation of the PachiPanda Innovation Challenge “Terms and Conditions ” or suspected of fraud, plagiarism, or unethical behaviour, will be disqualified from the Challenge.
The organising committee reserves the right to disqualify any individual or team at its discretion.

Timelines

The PachiPanda Challenge will run from August – November 2025.
Application portal opens ……… 29th August 2025
Application portal closes ……… 3rd October 2025
Top 100 Announcement …….. 24th October 2025
Top 10 Announcement ………. 11th November 2025
Pitch day event ……… 24th – 26th November 2025
Winner Announcements …….. 26th November 2025

How To Apply for MTN Nigeria PachiPanda Challenge

To submit an entry to any of the challenge statements, you are required to answer the following questions on the designated portal

Briefly describe your innovative idea or solution (Maximum of 200 words)
What makes your idea or solution outstanding and deserving of selection? (Maximum of 200 words)
How would your idea or solution impact people at the community, national and international levels? (Maximum 200 words)
Provide a detailed description of your innovative idea or solution, including evidence/proof of concept (Maximum of 2000 words)

Click Here to Apply

Application Deadline: 3rd October 2025