By Ephraim Oseji

In an ecosystem where climate tech is still fighting for oxygen, MTN’s Africa PachiPanda Challenge is emerging as one of the continent’s most exciting innovation pipelines — and Nigeria is not just participating; it’s leading.

At the just-concluded 2024 edition of the challenge, Nigerian ecopreneur Olabisi Rafatu Emmanuel was named one of Africa’s top green innovators. Her startup, Sussflow — a waste-to-resource platform — caught the eye of both MTN and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) for its user-friendly, tech-enabled solution to Nigeria’s waste management crisis.

While Cameroon’s Moses Afopezi clinched the top prize with AgricFresh, a smart logistics platform tackling post-harvest loss, Olabisi’s model stood out for its scalable potential in Nigeria’s urban centers, where over 88% of waste is unmanaged.

“This is not just about innovation — it’s about inclusion, empowerment, and driving meaningful transformation in every market where we operate,” said Nompilo Morafo, Group Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer at MTN.

Backed by MTN and WWF through its Nigerian local partner, the Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF), the PachiPanda Challenge aims to create a pipeline of investible, youth-led green ventures. Finalists receive business modeling support, pitch training, and access to networks that help scale their ideas into market-ready products.

Tobe Okigbo, Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer at MTN Nigeria, highlighted the national impact: “Olabisi’s success shows that young Nigerians aren’t waiting for change, they’re building it. Tech innovation is now a critical tool for both climate resilience and job creation.”

For Olabisi, the experience was game-changing. “I didn’t just build a solution, I built a business model, refined my tech stack, and met potential partners I never imagined,” she said.

The timing is ripe. Nigeria’s green economy is projected to generate 300,000+ jobs by 2030, according to the UNDP, but early-stage climate tech still suffers from limited funding and ecosystem support. MTN’s play signals a major shift — one where private capital is moving beyond CSR into real climate entrepreneurship.

As MTN plans to expand the PachiPanda Challenge into more African countries in 2025, Nigerian innovators are being encouraged to prepare for the next round. For founders building in the climate-tech intersection, this may just be the launchpad they’ve been waiting for.