₦50m Green Challenge Records No Qualifying Entries as First Lady Renews Call for Cleaner Communities

A ₦50 million competition aimed at transforming dumpsites and abandoned spaces into green public areas has ended without any qualifying entry, despite running for nearly a year.

The community category of the Renewed Hope Initiative’s Green Nigeria Challenge closed on July 15 with no significant submissions, highlighting the limited participation in the environmental initiative launched by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu.

In a statement, the First Lady commended the transformation of Abuja’s City Gate, describing it as a model of the type of environmental renewal the competition was designed to inspire. She urged state governments, communities and residents to strengthen waste management efforts and ensure drainage channels remain free of refuse to help reduce the risk of flooding.

Her appeal comes as several parts of Nigeria continue to experience flooding, with environmental experts identifying blocked drainage systems as a major factor worsening the impact of heavy rains.

While the community category has closed without a qualifying winner, the Green Nigeria Challenge remains open in the household and state categories until December. Winners in the household category will receive ₦20 million, while the overall prize for the state category is ₦100 million.

The Renewed Hope Initiative launched the Green Nigeria Challenge to encourage environmental sustainability through community-led efforts to convert neglected spaces into cleaner, greener and more productive public environments.