Standing on stage at the inaugural Nigeria PachiPanda Challenge in November 2024, Osarode Stephen Odemwingie described the moment he won the national green innovation competition as ‘surreal.’ His victory secured him ₦3 million in cash and a ticket to represent Nigeria at the Africa PachiPanda Finale in South Africa, where he competed against champions from across the continent. Launched in 2022 as a joint initiative between MTN Zambia and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Zambia, the programme has since expanded its reach to include Nigeria, South Africa, Cameroon, and Uganda.
Nearly two years later, MTN Nigeria has opened applications for the third edition of the challenge. This year, the initiative is expanding its partnership to include the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Nigeria, and Deloitte Nigeria. The prize pool has significantly grown from ₦6 million to ₦10 million, aiming for 2,500 to 3500 entries from young Nigerians aged 18 to 35. These innovators are encouraged to submit scalable environmental solutions across categories like Climate Change, Urban Resilience, Community Conservation, and Pollution.
The expansion of the prize pool, which now sees the overall winner receiving ₦5 million, the first runner-up ₦3 million, and the second runner-up ₦2 million, from the previous editions and signals what Tobe Okigbo, Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer at MTN Nigeria, described as a recognition that “environmental responsibility and economic development must go hand in hand” for a business deeply connected to the communities it serves.
The 2026 edition, themed ‘Nature Meets Innovation. Unlocking Africa’s Green Economy,” follows a structured and fully dated funnel where the Top 100 will be announced on 18 September, the Top 25 on 2 October, and the Top 10 finalists on 9 October, after which ten finalists will participate in a four-day boot camp and pitch event in Lagos running from 19 to 22 October, engaging in a human-centred design process aimed at strengthening business acumen, enhancing presentation skills, and refining their solutions before winners are announced on 23 October.
This year’s edition distinguishes itself by deliberately placing young people at the core of the campaign. Dr Joseph Onoja, Director-General of NCF, noted that “innovation works best when young people lead it” and that by backing the PachiPanda challenge, the partners are handing the next generation the tools to protect nature and the confidence to act.
The stakes at the Africa PachiPanda Finale are tangible and significant. National winners compete for $5,000 in equity-free funding to advance their ventures. The programme has already enrolled 3,436 applicants across five countries. This track record includes 158 finalists who have benefited from intensive incubation and pitch development. The 2025 Nigeria edition alone received 2,169 submissions, and the 2026 target of 2,500 to 3,500 entries represents a clear ambition to grow that figure further.
Dr William Tsuma, Chief Innovation Officer at UNDP Nigeria, framed the programme’s significance in developmental terms, stating that “innovation for development is at the heart of what we do” and that when young innovators co-create solutions to real problems, they drive inclusive growth and push society closer to a sustainable future for all.
The addition of Deloitte Nigeria as a partner for the third edition brings a new dimension to the programme, with Bernard Orji, Chief Growth Officer at Deloitte West Africa, explaining that great ideas need sharpening to succeed and that through the collaboration the partners will help young innovators pressure-test their thinking, build commercial confidence, and turn promising concepts into ventures that can scale and last.
Applications close on 28 August 2026, and the question hanging over this edition is not whether Nigeria has the talent because the last two editions proved that it does, but whether the next generation of innovators is watching this time and will feel empowered to apply.
To apply, interested participants can visit www.mtn.com/pachipanda-challenge for more information or submit their applications directly via bit.ly/2026NigeriaPachiPanda.