Some young Africans, including Nigeria’s Chidubem Daniel Gbujie, Delight Chimdiuto Gbujie, Chinazaekpere Uchegbu, have recently emerged winners at the inaugural Sustainability World Cup (www.sus-world-cup.com), a groundbreaking online course and competition.
While Chidubem Daniel Gbujie, the Team Leader of AmbassaT was declared the Best Sustainability Leader, his AmbassaT Team, made up of himself, Delight Chimdiuto Gbujie, Silas Kimara Ochaka, Leonard Tabengwa and Chinazaekpere Uchegbu emerged the Sustainability World Champions, according to a statement from the organizers in Malaga, Spain.
The AmbassaT Team (Chidubem Daniel Gbujie, Delight Chimdiuto Gbujie, Silas Kimara Ochaka, Leonard Tabengwa and Chinazaekpere Uchegbu) also emerged Best Social Performance winners in the contest.
The winners of the different categories were announced at the Digital Enterprise Show (DES) in Malaga, Spain, according to the statement dated June 14, 2024, and emerged from participants drawn from diverse backgrounds, including industry and academia, who were united to learn about sustainability and how to seize its opportunities to drive positive business growth.
Organized by Dr Leila Bardasuc and Edmund Bradford, the programme fostered knowledge, collaboration and leadership focused on delivering sustainable business growth and was sponsored by TEAMLABS, a radical learning laboratory, with offices in Barcelona, Madrid and Malaga, that is said to be revolutionizing society.
TEAMLABS’ “innovative methodology based on team entrepreneurship and learning by doing, instills a learning mentality in young talent and in business, educational and public organizations, thus providing the capabilities and culture to innovate in uncertain environments.”
Speaking on the historic victories, Chidubem Daniel Gbujie, Team Leader of AmbassaT, the overall winners of the competition and Sustainability World Champions said “I am thrilled and grateful to have led AmbassaT to victory at the 2024 Sustainability World Cup. On behalf of my teammates Gbujie, Kimara, Delight, Tabengwa, and Uchegbu, we are honored to claim the title of Sustainability World Champions and our other multiple awards.
“I am especially proud to receive the individual award for Best Sustainability Leader. This award reflects the remarkable ability of the competition to identify participants who can seamlessly blend sustainability principles with sound academic knowledge, real-world application of corporate practices, and advocacy for sustainability and the SDGs. This journey has been empowering. We hope to bring this new knowledge back to our people on the continent.
“With the support of all the sponsors and organizers, we aim to implement sustainability practices across Africa. Together, we can make our world a better and more sustainable place to live and to earn our livelihoods.”
One of the youths’ mentors, New Jersey, United States of America (USA)-based Physician and social activist, Dr. Nelson Aluya, in his reaction said: “I am super proud of Dr Gbujie Chidubem Daniel and the team for such a great feat. Africa’s vibrant youth, through their boundless creativity and unwavering determination, illuminate a path to global sustainability, turning challenges into opportunities, and limitations into catalysts for change.
“They are becoming the driving forces behind the global sustainability goals. Despite the shackles of socioeconomic, political, and leadership constraints, they persist in innovating, creating, and inspiring – a testament to the boundless potential that lies within them all. Let us celebrate, support, and empower these changemakers, for they are the torchbearers of a brighter, more sustainable future for all.”
A Celebration of Young African Sustainability Champions!
As an African and someone with an understanding of Nigeria, plus the fact that I am deeply committed to empowering young talent and celebrating outstanding persons, I am thrilled to celebrate the incredible achievements of Chief Dr. Chidubem Daniel Gbujie, Silas Kimara Leonard Tabenwa, Delight Chimdiuto, and Chinazaekpere Uchegbu!
These brilliant young Africans have emerged victorious at the inaugural 2024 Sustainability World Cup, informing us all of what we already know: Africans have talents, and many Nigerians are talented beyond argument. These kids continue to show this. Sadly, many youths in Nigeria are drawn away and have gotten addicted to drugs, internet fraud, and sexual perversion. All they want is to sexualize everything from skits to movies and dramas rather than address and find ways to dig us out of our predicament. Notably, I must commend Dr. Chidubem, who I have known for some years, though we have not met. I have reported about him and his impact while a freelance journalist in South Africa. Anyway, I am happy he won the Most Valuable Player Award, which is called the prestigious Best Sustainability Leader Award.
This accomplishment should be in every media outlet in Africa, even in Spain it is celebrated, and it is a big deal. But it’s clear where African priorities lie. Even the Nigerian government has not recognized them or used them as a yardstick. I am aware the African Union and United Nations have acknowledged them but not their respective countries. This showcases the exceptional potential of African youth. Their triumph at the World Cup, competing against diverse backgrounds, highlights the African resilience in us. I can see that they will be great leaders for sure in this space in the future. If we are going to change the world, it will require a strong knowledge base with a practical application process to address our collective shared challenges and unity. See how Africans worked together for 8 weeks and they are champions. Imagine if we all worked together even at a regional level, we would go far.
I am happy they are interested in bringing this knowledge back to Africa. With their passion and the support of international organizations in the sustainability space, these young African leaders, along with the new generation of serious-minded Africans, have the potential to revolutionize sustainability practices across the continent and in the world. I must commend all the elders that have helped them, like Dr. Nelson Aluya, and I cannot forget the American white lady that sponsored the team, Ms. Gallagher Rhiannon, and the Sustainability World Cup organizers for their support. Africa’s vibrant youth are waiting to be given opportunities to explore. They are technically the only hope as the generation that has come before them has destroyed and indebted the continent. Look at Kenya and the protests. People can’t eat, but you increase taxes. Youths of Africa are the only hope, demonstrating the power of innovation and determination even in the face of obstacles.
Let us celebrate these champions! They join the few thousands of SDGs torchbearers for a brighter, more sustainable future for Africa and the world.