MTN Nigeria has opened applications for the 2026 edition of the PachiPanda Challenge, offering a total prize pool of ₦10 million to young Nigerians with innovative and scalable solutions to environmental challenges.
The third edition of the national green innovation competition is aimed at young innovators between the ages of 18 and 35 and is expected to attract between 2,500 and 3,500 entries.
The challenge, themed “Nature Meets Innovation: Unlocking Africa’s Green Economy,” is being organised in partnership with the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Nigeria and Deloitte Nigeria.
Participants are expected to submit innovative solutions in areas including climate change, urban resilience, community conservation and pollution.
The overall winner will receive ₦5 million, while the first and second runners-up will receive ₦3 million and ₦2 million, respectively.
The ₦10 million prize pool represents an increase from the ₦6 million offered in previous editions.
The national winner will also have the opportunity to represent Nigeria at the Africa PachiPanda Finale, where winners from participating countries will compete for 5,000 dollars in equity-free funding to advance their ventures.
The PachiPanda Challenge was launched in 2022 as a joint initiative between MTN Zambia and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Zambia.
The programme has since expanded to Nigeria, South Africa, Cameroon and Uganda.
Tobe Okigbo, Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer at MTN Nigeria, said the expansion of the programme reflected the company’s belief that environmental responsibility and economic development must progress together.
According to him, MTN’s deep connection with communities across Nigeria places a responsibility on the company to support initiatives that create sustainable solutions to environmental and economic challenges.
Okigbo said the PachiPanda Challenge was designed to provide young innovators with a platform to transform ideas into practical solutions capable of creating environmental and economic value.
The competition will follow a structured selection process, with the Top 100 applicants expected to be announced on Sept. 18.
The Top 25 will be announced on Oct. 2, while the Top 10 finalists will emerge on Oct. 9.
The finalists will participate in a four-day boot camp and pitch event in Lagos from Oct. 19 to Oct. 22.
The programme will focus on human-centred design, business development, presentation skills and the refinement of participants’ solutions.
Winners of the 2026 edition will be announced on Oct. 23.
Dr Joseph Onoja, Director-General of NCF, said young people were central to the development of innovative solutions to environmental challenges.
“Innovation works best when young people lead it,” Onoja said.
He said the partnership behind the PachiPanda Challenge was aimed at equipping the next generation with the tools, knowledge and confidence required to protect nature and develop sustainable solutions.
Dr William Tsuma, Chief Innovation Officer at UNDP Nigeria, said the initiative aligned with efforts to promote innovation as a driver of inclusive and sustainable development.
“Innovation for development is at the heart of what we do,” Tsuma said.
He added that when young innovators co-created solutions to real-life challenges, they contributed to inclusive growth and moved society closer to a sustainable future.
The addition of Deloitte Nigeria as a partner for the 2026 edition is expected to strengthen the commercial and business development aspects of the programme.
Bernard Orji, Chief Growth Officer at Deloitte West Africa, said promising ideas required support and refinement to develop into sustainable and scalable ventures.
He said the collaboration would help participants pressure-test their ideas, build commercial confidence and transform promising concepts into ventures capable of long-term growth.
The programme has already attracted 3,436 applicants across the five participating countries, with 158 finalists benefiting from intensive incubation and pitch-development opportunities.
In Nigeria, the 2025 edition received 2,169 submissions, with the 2026 target of between 2,500 and 3,500 applications representing a further expansion of the programme’s reach.
The initiative has produced young innovators who have gone on to gain national and continental exposure.
Osarode Stephen Odemwingie, winner of the inaugural Nigeria PachiPanda Challenge in November 2024, described his victory as a surreal experience.
His victory earned him ₦3 million and the opportunity to represent Nigeria at the Africa PachiPanda Finale in South Africa, where he competed against national champions from across the continent.
MTN Nigeria said the challenge remained focused on empowering young people to develop practical solutions that address environmental challenges while creating viable economic opportunities.
Applications for the 2026 edition will close on Aug. 28.
Interested participants can obtain more information and submit their applications through the official PachiPanda Challenge application platforms.
