MTN Nigeria, in partnership with the WorldWide Fund through its local partner, the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, on Monday unveiled the Nigeria PachiPanda Challenge 2025, an initiative aimed at empowering young people to promote environmental sustainability across the country. Nigeria Startup News reports that the challenge is designed to give young people the opportunity to develop innovative and long-term solutions to pressing environmental issues while also encouraging fresh ideas that support sustainability in Nigeria. The initiative forms part of the wider Africa PachiPanda Challenge, which seeks to stimulate and champion creative solutions addressing urgent environmental challenges across the continent.

The Founder and Managing Consultant at ResourcePRO Ltd., Chinwe Udo-Davis, explained that the initiative was created to equip young people with the tools they need to build practical solutions for environmental problems. She noted that the programme would empower African youth and youth-led SMEs to develop innovative and sustainable solutions that address major environmental challenges affecting their communities. Udo-Davis urged young entrepreneurs to be clear about the value they offer and to find ways to differentiate their products or services so they can remain competitive and attract customers.

She emphasised that the marketplace operates on an exchange of value and that customers only pay for products or services that deliver clear benefits or solve specific problems. According to her, “The only reason anyone will give you money is because you are giving them value. If your solution does not put real value into the hands of your customer, they will not pay for it. Whether you are building a commercial or social enterprise.” She added that entrepreneurs must be able to communicate the core benefits of their products, whether through improved quality, reliability, better pricing, faster delivery, or strong customer service. She stated that customers are often willing to pay more if the value offered is higher.

Udo-Davis explained that while many businesses worry about competition, differentiation in business models and approach can allow companies to stand out even when operating in the same sector. She also highlighted the importance of storytelling and effective communication, describing it as a crucial skill for founders, especially when pitching to investors or taking part in accelerator programmes. She noted that many entrepreneurs assume their ideas are strong enough to speak for themselves, but visibility and strong narrative-building are key to drawing support and investment.

She shared her personal experience at a pan-African pitch event in Nairobi, where overcoming her fear of public speaking helped her team secure a 150,000-dollar grant, a moment she described as transformative for her business. She explained that communication skills remain essential during fundraising, product promotion, and investor engagement, and encouraged entrepreneurs to seek learning platforms such as Toastmasters to improve.

Udo-Davis urged innovators, especially those working in climate-focused and SDG-related sectors, to communicate clearly about the purpose, social impact, and unique strengths of their solutions. She stated, “Your ability to clearly articulate your value, uniqueness and impact is just as important as the solution you are building.”

During the interactive masterclass session, the President of the Recyclers Association of Nigeria, Harold Okonoboh, encouraged participants to explore opportunities within the recycling sector. He advised them to begin as middlemen, explaining that this would help them understand the value chain before making significant investments. According to him, this entry point offers new participants a way to engage actively in the sector without dealing with heavy capital costs. It also helps them identify the materials recyclers need and how to source them efficiently from their communities.

Okonoboh urged participants to gain hands-on experience by working with established recycling companies, explaining that learning directly from industry operators would help young innovators avoid costly mistakes. He described Nigeria’s recycling ecosystem as fragmented but noted that the gaps create opportunities for innovation, especially in digital technology for waste collection and in the local fabrication of recycling machinery. He added that local artisans have the technical skills required to produce some recycling components, although improvements in design and precision are needed to meet industry standards.

He also highlighted the role of the Recyclers Association of Nigeria in guiding private operators and working with regulators on policies that influence the circular economy. He reminded participants that staying informed about regulations is important to avoid investments that may be affected by future restrictions. “Staying connected with regulatory bodies is important for anyone entering the sector to avoid investments in areas that may be restricted in the future. Ignorance of the law is not an excuse,” he said.

Okonoboh assured the participants of ongoing support and expressed readiness to guide those who wish to pursue opportunities within the recycling value chain.