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MTN Tech Challenge 2025: OneGrid Energies Wins
MTN Tech Challenge 2025 national competition has produced another winner – Onitsha-based start-up OneGrid Energies, in its bid to showcase Nigeria’s innovation in clean-tech and energy solutions.
In what could be described as a landmark moment for Nigeria’s innovation landscape, OneGrid Energies, an Onitsha-based start-up has claimed the victory at the MTN Tech Challenge 2025 as a demonstration of the country’s growing prowess in clean-tech and sustainable energy solutions.
This victory not only highlights the ingenuity of Nigeria’s young innovators but also underscores the critical role of technology in solving pressing national challenges like energy access and environmental sustainability.
From thousands of applications nationwide, OneGrid Energies stood out for its practical, scalable, and forward-thinking solution which has earned it the right to represent Nigeria on a larger stage in South Africa.
As the MTN Tech Challenge 2025 continues to spotlight the next generation of tech leaders, this win serves as both inspiration and proof that Nigerian start-ups are capable of delivering transformative solutions with real-world impact.
About OneGrid Energies – The Winner of the MTN Tech Challenge 2025
The winner of the MTN Tech Challenge 2025, OneGrid Energies is a clean-energy start-up based in Onitsha, Anambra State, Nigeria. The company, legally registered as OneGrid Energies Technologies on March 18, 2022 was founded with the mission to tackle energy poverty and environmental waste through affordable and sustainable clean-energy solutions.
Its flagship product, the OnePlastic Lantern is a rechargeable solar lantern made using waste plastic bottles and repurposed lithium-ion batteries sourced from discarded laptop batteries. By transforming plastic and e-waste into a practical energy solution, the lantern provides a clean, safe, and affordable alternative to kerosene lamps or candles that enables families to study, run small businesses, and improve their quality of life.
Since its launch, OneGrid Energies has distributed over 5,000 lanterns to customers, simultaneously reducing environmental pollution and improving energy access in underserved communities. The start-up also creates employment opportunities through activities such as recycling waste plastics, refurbishing batteries, running solar charging stations, and assembling lanterns. All these to the benefit of youths and women in economically challenged areas.
OneGrid Energies has garnered recognition and support from international social-impact organizations, including participation in the 2023 cohort of Because International’s accelerator programme which provides mentorship and resources for entrepreneurs with socially impactful, product-focused ideas.
Its combination of social impact, environmental sustainability, affordability, and local innovation positions OneGrid Energies as a standout example of how Nigerian clean-tech start-ups can deliver solutions that are both environmentally responsible and socially transformative. This has made it to stand out among the hundreds of contestants in the MTN Tech Challenge 2025.
What Is the MTN Tech Challenge 2025?
MTN Tech Challenge 2025 refers to the current edition of the Africa PachiPanda Challenge, a major continental programme led by MTN Nigeria Communications Plc in partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and in Nigeria, implemented with the support of Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF).
Launched originally in 2022 in Zambia, the PachiPanda Challenge was expanded in 2024 to include additional African countries, including Nigeria, South Africa, and Cameroon, thus transforming it into a pan‑African platform for supporting youth‑led green‑tech enterprises.
The core aim of the MTN Tech Challenge 2025 is to discover and elevate innovative ideas from young entrepreneurs, typically between ages 18 and 35 and youth‑led SMEs that tackle pressing environmental and sustainability problems, from waste management, renewable energy, and climate change mitigation to community conservation and sustainable development.
Participants in the challenge submit their proposals via an online portal in response to challenge statements that define problem‑areas such as pollution, waste management, climate change mitigation, sustainable energy, and community conservation.
After submission, the selection process begins. First, entries are reviewed and shortlisted. From there, a smaller group is selected as finalists to proceed to a sprint‑week and pitch event designed to refine their business models, sharpen their value propositions, and ready them for investment or implementation.
Finalists pitch before a panel of experts. The winners receive recognition and support aimed at scaling their solution. This may include seed funding, mentorship, training, and access to networks of investors, stakeholders, and industry partners.
In the broader Africa PachiPanda Challenge which the MTN Tech Challenge 2025 aligns with, first-place winners have reportedly received cash awards or equivalent support, guidance on business modelling, and entry into a network designed to amplify impact beyond their home country.
The MTN Tech Challenge 2025 is a contest as well as a movement. It aims to foster green business, empower young leaders, and promote sustainable development across participating African countries by giving eco‑entrepreneurs a platform to transform their ideas into real solutions.
For young innovators and start‑ups in Nigeria, participating in MTN Tech Challenge 2025 offers a chance to turn creative, socially conscious ideas into viable, scalable ventures, with institutional support, visibility, and potential funding. In an era where environmental and energy challenges are pressing, the challenge represents a powerful pathway for youth-led change and sustainable entrepreneurship.
OneGrid Energies’ Winning Solution
When the judges of the MTN Tech Challenge 2025 considered hundreds of entries from across Nigeria, what made OneGrid Energies stand out was the clarity, practicality, and social impact of their solution. OneGrid pitched a clean‑energy innovation that directly addresses one of Nigeria’s most persistent problems which is lack of reliable and affordable lighting in off‑grid and underserved communities. The core of their solution is a low‑cost solar lantern called OnePlastic.
OnePlastic is not just any solar lantern. It is produced by repurposing waste materials, particularly discarded plastic bottles and lithium-ion batteries from e‑waste such as old laptop batteries in the bid to transform waste plastic and e‑waste into something lifesaving: clean, safe, and affordable light. Because of this circular‑economy approach of turning waste into usable energy products, OneGrid’s solution speaks directly to both environmental sustainability and energy access.
According to OneGrid’s profile, the OnePlastic lantern can deliver up to 20 hours of light on a full charge. This feature is particularly valuable in Nigerian communities where electricity supply is unreliable or nonexistent, and families often resort to unsafe or harmful lighting alternatives like kerosene lamps or open-flame lanterns.
Beyond just providing light, the solution offers broader social benefits. By replacing harmful light sources, OneGrid helps to reduce health risks such as respiratory problems caused by kerosene emissions and improves safety by eliminating open flames in homes.
Moreover, access to reliable light enables children to study after dark and supports small businesses that may operate during off-hours, thereby contributing to better education outcomes and income generation.
Another strength in their solution, and probably a deciding factor for their win at the MTN Tech Challenge 2025 is the business and social‑impact model behind OnePlastic. OneGrid doesn’t just sell lanterns, they also set up solar-charging stations. Through this model, community members, particularly youths and women can exchange waste plastics for lanterns, participate in e‑waste collection, and even help to manage charging stations.
This approach, simultaneously, reduces plastic waste, provides a source of livelihood, and expands access to clean energy. It turns environmental and social problems such as waste pollution, energy poverty, unemployment into an integrated green‑economy solution.
By combining recycled materials, solar power, local manufacturing, and community-focused distribution, OneGrid’s solution exemplifies what the MTN Tech Challenge 2025 was designed to reward, and that is, scalable climate‑smart innovations that deliver real benefit to people and planet. Their OnePlastic lantern ticks off critical boxes like sustainability, affordability, social impact, and scalability, making it a model for green entrepreneurship in Nigeria.
What Winning the MTN Tech Challenge 2025 Signifies
Winning the MTN Tech Challenge 2025 represents more than a trophy or public recognition. Beyond that, it is a substantial achievement that can transform the trajectory of a start-up by opening doors to funding, visibility, partnerships, and long-term growth.
For OneGrid Energies, the victory underlines the potential and promise of Nigeria’s home‑grown clean‑tech innovators, and signals that climate‑smart entrepreneurship is gaining real institutional support.
The MTN Tech Challenge 2025 which is part of the broader Africa PachiPanda Challenge, a joint initiative by MTN Group and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) with local implementation by Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF) has emerged as one of the continent’s most exciting incubators for green ventures.
By clinching the top spot among many finalists, OneGrid Energies gains strong credibility in Nigeria’s start‑up and clean‑energy ecosystem. Previous editions of the Challenge have demonstrated that winners receive not only monetary prizes but also mentorship, training, and exposure. These are elements crucial for early-stage ventures to evolve beyond pilot phases.
For instance, winners from other countries in the Africa PachiPanda Challenge have gained access to masterclasses on business development, sustainable innovation, impact measurement, and networks of investors and stakeholders across Africa. These benefits elevate a winning project from being just an idea to a potentially scalable, investment‑ready enterprise.
In the context of Nigeria’s economy and climate‑tech landscape, the significance is magnified. The challenge helps to channel youth energy into sustainable entrepreneurship, offering a platform for youth‑led SMEs to address critical issues like environmental degradation, waste management, and energy poverty while building viable businesses.
A win at the MTN Tech Challenge 2025 also brings visibility. Media attention, recognition from prominent sustainability stakeholders, and alignment with global climate‑action and sustainability narratives can attract interest from investors, partners, or government / NGO initiatives looking to support clean‑tech solutions. This visibility can mean the difference between a promising project fading away and becoming a force for change.
Moreover, success in such a competition sends a message to other young Nigerians, especially outside major tech hubs, that innovation and impact don’t need to come from big cities. Cities such as Onitsha where OneGrid is based can be fertile ground for solutions driven by local needs and realities. That decentralization of innovation contributes to a more inclusive national ecosystem of tech and sustainable entrepreneurship.
Finally, on a broader social‑environmental level, winners like OneGrid help to demonstrate that tackling energy access and environmental sustainability in Nigeria can be approached through creative, community‑rooted, and market‑oriented solutions, and not just policy or aid‑based approaches. This can inspire a new wave of climate‑tech start-ups, encourage private‑sector investment, and contribute to sustainable development goals across the country.
Put simply, winning the MTN Tech Challenge 2025 is a launchpad. For OneGrid Energies, it confirms that their clean‑energy vision is viable, valued, and ready for growth. For Nigeria, it signals that green innovation is no longer peripheral, it’s central to the future of business, environment, and youth-led development.
What’s Next for OneGrid Energies
With its win at the MTN Tech Challenge 2025, OneGrid Energies now stands at a promising threshold as this is a win that opens the door to a range of opportunities, scaling paths, and a bigger role in Nigeria’s clean‑energy landscape.
First off, as national winners, OneGrid Energies is likely to receive the rewards associated with the Challenge. The Challenge provides top winners with seed funding, exposure, mentorship and access to a network of investors and stakeholders across Africa. This injection of support and resources gives OneGrid a practical springboard for growth, beyond just a pilot or demonstration.
One immediate next step for OneGrid will probably be to scale production and distribution of its core product – the solar lantern built from recycled plastic bottles and e-waste lithium‑ion batteries. On its profile, OneGrid states that its lantern marketed as OnePlastic is low-cost, made from waste plastic bottles and discarded laptop batteries, and designed to provide up to 20 hours of light per charge. With the fresh visibility and credibility from MTN Tech Challenge 2025, OneGrid can leverage the acclaim to attract potential customers, partners or investors that can help to expand manufacturing capacity and extend distribution beyond its original community.
Beyond product scaling, OneGrid can also take advantage of the network, training, and mentorship that accompany the Challenge. The Africa PachiPanda Challenge is designed not only to reward green‑tech solutions but to help make them investment‑ready. Winners often get access to business‑model support, human‑centred design training, and exposure to pan‑African networks of stakeholders. That kind of support can equip OneGrid to refine its value proposition, improve its supply‑chain operations, and plan for sustainable growth.
Another likely next step is for OneGrid to explore partnerships with NGOs, development agencies, social enterprise investors, impact‑funds, or government programmes focused on energy access or environmental sustainability. The success of comparable ventures and recent investments in clean‑energy and circular‑economy initiatives in Nigeria suggests that there’s growing interest in supporting companies that combine environmental impact with social benefit.
For example, another clean‑energy company, Salpha Energy recently secured a ₦2 billion investment to expand solar installations for off-grid energy markets in Nigeria. OneGrid, with a proven social‑impact product and recognized win, could position itself to tap into similar funding or partnerships.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, OneGrid’s win and its projected growth could inspire other young innovators across Nigeria. Their success sends a message that, even from cities outside the major tech hubs like Onitsha, it’s possible to build credible clean‑tech ventures. As OneGrid scales and becomes more visible, it may become a model for others, increasing the pipeline of youth‑led clean‑energy startups, helping to decentralize innovation, and broadening impact across communities in need of reliable, affordable energy.
Overall, the MTN Tech Challenge 2025 win is just the beginning. For OneGrid Energies, the next moves likely involve scaling their product, leveraging support and networks from the Challenge, forming strategic partnerships, and expanding their reach, all while helping to drive Nigeria’s shift toward sustainable, community-driven energy access.
Lessons and Opportunities
The success of OneGrid Energies in the MTN Tech Challenge 2025 offers several lessons and opportunities for Nigerian entrepreneurs, innovators, and stakeholders in the clean‑tech ecosystem.
First, it demonstrates the fact that innovation can emerge from anywhere in Nigeria, not just major hubs like Lagos or Abuja. OneGrid, based in Onitsha, proves that solutions tailored to local problems, in this case, energy access and environmental waste can gain national recognition and compete at a continental level. This is a vital lesson for aspiring innovators. A deep understanding of community needs, coupled with practical solutions can be more impactful than location alone.
Second, the MTN Tech Challenge 2025 highlights the importance of aligning innovation with sustainability. OneGrid’s solution which repurposes waste plastic bottles and e‑waste batteries into affordable solar lanterns combines environmental responsibility with social impact. For other start-ups, this illustrates that tackling real societal problems through eco-conscious design increases both relevance and competitiveness in national and international platforms.
Third, the challenge underscores the power of visibility and mentorship. By participating in the MTN Tech Challenge 2025, OneGrid gained access to networks of investors, mentors, and stakeholders. These resources are crucial for scaling start-ups. This is an opportunity for other young innovators to leverage competitions, accelerators, and challenge programmes to refine their business models, gain exposure, and attract investment.
Fourth, the experience offers lessons in impact-driven entrepreneurship. OneGrid’s approach proves that social and environmental impact can be integrated with profitability and scalability. Start-ups that combine a solid business model with community benefit are more likely to receive recognition, funding, and long-term sustainability.
Finally, the MTN Tech Challenge 2025 creates a platform for collaboration and knowledge-sharing. Opportunities exist for start-ups to partner with NGOs, government initiatives, and private investors focused on clean energy and sustainability. For example, organizations supporting youth-led green enterprises often provide funding, training, and market access for innovative projects that solve energy or environmental challenges.
To sum it up, the lessons from OneGrid Energies’ success at the MTN Tech Challenge 2025 emphasize three key points – focus on local, real-world problems; combine innovation with sustainability; and leverage platforms like the MTN Tech Challenge for mentorship, visibility, and scaling opportunities. These insights provide a roadmap not only for aspiring entrepreneurs but also for stakeholders seeking to foster a thriving clean-tech and sustainability ecosystem in Nigeria.
In Conclusion …
The triumph of OneGrid Energies at the MTN Tech Challenge 2025 is more than a personal victory for the start-up. Beyond that, it is a milestone for Nigerian innovation, clean-tech entrepreneurship, and sustainable development. Their solution which is a solar lantern made from recycled plastic bottles and e-waste batteries exemplifies how local ingenuity can address pressing societal challenges while promoting environmental responsibility.
Winning the MTN Tech Challenge 2025 opens doors for OneGrid Energies to scale its operations, attract investment, form strategic partnerships, and serve as a model for other young innovators across Nigeria and Africa. It also highlights the significance of platforms like the MTN Tech Challenge in discovering, mentoring, and supporting the next generation of youth-led enterprises that combine profitability with social impact.
For aspiring entrepreneurs, policymakers, and stakeholders, OneGrid’s journey offers valuable lessons – understand local needs, align innovation with sustainability, leverage mentorship and networks, and aim for solutions that can scale and transform communities.
As Nigeria continues to nurture green and technology-driven entrepreneurship, wins like this signal a promising future where youth-led innovation, community empowerment, and environmental sustainability converge to create lasting impact.
The MTN Tech Challenge 2025 has done more than crowning a deserving winner, it has also reinforced the message that creativity, dedication, and socially responsible innovation can propel Nigeria onto the global clean-tech stage.
References
- https://anambrapeople.com.ng/2025/12/01/onitsha-based-startup-one-grid-energy-wins-mtn-tech-challenge-to-represent-nigeria-in-south-africa/
- https://www.f6s.com/company/onegrid-energies/
- https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/06/how-mtns-pachipanda-challenge-is-turning-nigerian-youth-into-africas-next-green-tech-founders/
- https://www.mtn.ng/sustainability/nigeria-pachipanda-challenge/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/onegridenergies2Ecom&originalSubdomain=ng
- https://becauseinternational.org/blogs/alumni/valentine-nnamani-onegrid-energies
- https://b2bhint.com/en/company/ng/onegrid-energies-technologies–BN-3611592
- https://msmeafricaonline.com/innovate-pitch-and-grant-awarded-3000-to-nigerian-entrepreneurs/
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