Douala, February 10, 2026 – MTN is proud to announce that Cameroon clinched the first place at the Africa PachiPanda Challenge competition, with the final held on February 10, 2026, at the MTN Group headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa.

For the second consecutive year, Cameroon secured the top spot at the Africa PachiPanda Challenge, thanks to the nTron STEM Kit project presented by Arnaud Njita. The nTron STEM Kit team recycles plastic waste to transform it into educational toys, facilitating science and technology learning for students.

Arnaud Njita stated: “Winning the Africa PachiPanda Challenge has been an incredibly meaningful experience. We plan to reinvest in our product, the nTron STEM Kit, improving its efficiency, scalability, and reach to touch even more lives across the continent. Our ultimate goal is to empower the next generation of innovators and technology leaders to help solve Africa’s most pressing challenges.”

In addition to the first place, Cameroon took home the third spot on the podium with the AgriCheck project presented by Bill Agha. This digital platform provides farmers with strategic information to make informed decisions despite climatic uncertainties, aiming to boost productivity and improve food security.

“This consecutive recognition of Cameroonian youth at the PachiPanda Challenge highlights the creativity, determination, and the growing strength of the local ecosystem, which increasingly combines technological innovation and sustainability to create value. It is a pride for MTN Cameroon and represents another step in our commitment, as a responsible company, to contribute sustainably and inclusively to the progress of Cameroon,” stated Wanda Matandela, General Director of MTN Cameroon.

These young Cameroonian entrepreneurs distinguished themselves among their peers from Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia, and the host country, South Africa. In addition to the cash prizes of 3 million and 1.5 million FCFA awarded to the Cameroonian champions, the finalists will benefit from various support initiatives aimed at accelerating the development and deployment of their products in the markets. For this second pan-African edition, Cameroon was represented by Njita Arnaud, Embom Jemima, and Bill Agha, who placed 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, respectively, in the national phase of the competition, which concluded on January 23, 2026.

In 2025, Cameroon had already made its mark in this competition with Moses Afopezi and his AfricFresh project, which won first place, and Jean Blaise Seka with the Wise Cool project, which ranked third.

The PachiPanda Challenge is organized by MTN in partnership with the World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF). The competition invites young African innovators aged 18 to 35 to propose innovative technological solutions aimed at enhancing community resilience to the effects of climate change.