Team Paci from Regina Pacis Secondary School, Onitsha, Anambra, has won the 2025 National Pitch Diamond Challenge for High School Entrepreneurs.
The announcement was made in Uyo on Thursday at the end of the high school competition.
The event was organised by the House of Diamond Challenge Initiative in partnership with the University of Delaware, United States.
Team Paci developed an electronic walking aid for the blind and received a $250 prize from the University of Delaware.
BizApp from Myrtle Vine College, Onitsha, secured second place with a web app connecting mentors and mentees for skill acquisition, business incubation, and mentorship.
Team Hydropetro from Beulah Secondary School, Akwa Ibom, took third place for designing an alternative device to tackle energy problems.
The second and third-place winners received N100,000 and N50,000, respectively, sponsored by the House of Diamond Challenge Initiative.
Delivering a virtual keynote address, Miss Jia Rastogi spoke on the theme ‘From Passion to Profit’. She encouraged students to act on their ideas.
Rastogi, a 16-year-old Australian entrepreneur, warned against procrastination and distractions, calling them “killers of dreams.”
“Success is not about waiting for the right time but creating the right moment,” she said. “Passion is important, but without action, it remains just an idea.”
She urged students to seek mentors in their fields and develop innovative solutions to societal challenges.
Akwa Ibom’s Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ubong Umoh, described entrepreneurship as the foundation of economic growth and innovation as a key driver of development.
Represented by Dr Ndifreke Eshiet, he emphasised the government’s commitment to fostering entrepreneurship through education under the ARISE Agenda of Governor Umo Eno.
Mrs Lucy Ekpenyong, representing the House of Diamond Challenge Initiative, said education should go beyond grades to incorporate entrepreneurial skills.
She stressed that an entrepreneurial mindset could reduce unemployment by enabling students and graduates to create jobs.
The first-place winner will represent Nigeria at the Diamond Challenge Limitless World Summit in Delaware, USA, in May 2025, competing against teams from over 25 countries.