The Christ the King College in Onitsha, Nigeria, has achieved a significant victory at the esteemed World Affairs Challenge (WAC) 2024, securing the prestigious first-place position on a global scale. This historic win marks Nigeria’s inaugural Gold medal in the 32-year history of the competition.
Organized by WorldDenver, according toTHE PUNCH, the World Affairs Challenge empowers high school students to devise innovative solutions aimed at addressing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This year, participants tackled pressing issues such as climate change, poverty, and inequality.
Led by their coach, John Onuigbo, the team comprising Ekufu Ernest, Obuna Somtochukwu, Umeodinka Emmanuel, Ejike Ekene, and Ubah Jason, captivated judges with their impactful project, “Wise Tales by Primus.” This series of digital comic stories effectively addresses environmental degradation, climate change, and substance abuse, aiming to raise awareness and instigate positive change among young people.
CKC Onitsha’s journey commenced at the African Regional Competition, where they were recognized 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 presentation during the final Q&A session left an indelible impression.
The judging panel commended the team’s exceptional performance, stating, “Excellent presentation and application of SMART indexes with extraordinary action plans for global outreach through language translation and website creative solutions dynamics. This is innovative, creative, and illustrious.”
Today, CKC Onitsha was officially crowned the World Affairs Challenge 2024 Global Champion, surpassing teams from across the globe. Redmond High School, WA, USA, and TEVITOL High School, Turkey, claimed the third and second place, respectively.
Reacting to the victory, the school principal, Rev. Fr. Celestine Arinze Okafor, emphasized the significance of CKC Onitsha’s triumph beyond the competition.
He highlighted the immense potential and innovative spirit of Nigerian youth, inspiring others to confront global challenges with creativity and dedication. Okafor stressed the importance of supporting the team to expand and promote their project to millions of users.
Adding to the excitement, the CKC Onitsha team is set to travel to Denver, Colorado, USA, later this month for the award ceremony. There, they will showcase their project to a global audience and engage with fellow young leaders.
