Today marks a historic moment as Nigeria triumphs at the esteemed World Affairs Challenge (WAC) 2024. Representing the nation, Christ the King College (CKC) Onitsha secured the prestigious global first-place position, marking Nigeria’s inaugural Gold win in the competition’s 32-year history.
The World Affairs Challenge, hosted by WorldDenver, empowers high school students to devise innovative solutions for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This year, students addressed pressing issues such as climate change, poverty, and inequality.
Led by their coach, Mr. John Onuigbo, CKC Onitsha’s students – Ekufu Ernest, Obuna Somtochukwu, Umeodinka Emmanuel, Ejike Ekene, and Ubah Jason – impressed judges with their impactful project, “Wise Tales by Primus.” This captivating series of digital comic stories tackles environmental degradation, climate change, and substance abuse, aiming to raise awareness and inspire positive change among youth.
CKC Onitsha’s journey commenced at the African Regional Competition, where they emerged as the highest-scoring Nigerian team and ranked among the top five in Africa.
Advancing to the virtual global finals, the team’s comprehensive understanding and passionate delivery during the final Q&A session left an indelible mark on the judges.
Praising the team’s outstanding performance, the judges lauded their “Excellent presentation and applications of SMART indexes with extraordinary action plans for global outreach through language translation and website creative solutions dynamics. This is innovative, creative, and illustrious,” they remarked.
Today, CKC Onitsha was officially declared the World Affairs Challenge 2024 Global Champion, surpassing teams from across the globe. Redmond High School, WA, USA, and TEVITÖL High School, Turkey, secured third and second place, respectively.
Reflecting on the victory, school principal Rev. Fr. Celestine Arinze Okafor expressed, “CKC Onitsha’s win extends beyond the competition.
It signifies the immense potential and innovative spirit of Nigerian youth, who not only achieved a historic victory but also inspired others to address global challenges with creativity and dedication.
These boys deserve all the support they can get to expand and promote their project to millions of users.”
In an added excitement, the CKC Onitsha team will journey to Denver, Colorado, USA, later this month for the award ceremony.
There, they will showcase their project to a global audience and connect with fellow young leaders.
