Greenpreneurs: Powering Nigeria’s Future, One Sustainable Innovation at a Time!

Nigeria stands at a defining moment. As the country grapples with unreliable electricity, mounting waste, unemployment, and rising carbon emissions, a new wave of innovators is offering hope.

At the center of this transformation are Greenpreneurs — entrepreneurs who design environmentally friendly products, services, and systems that address ecological challenges while strengthening economic growth.

They are proving that sustainability and prosperity are not opposites. They are partners.

The Entrepreneurial Challenge: A System Under Strain

Nigeria’s business landscape faces serious environmental and energy challenges.

One of the most pressing issues is unreliable electricity. Due to an unstable national grid, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) rely heavily on fossil fuel generators to power daily operations. This dependence has wide-ranging consequences:

According to the World Bank, unreliable electricity costs Nigerian businesses an estimated $29 billion annually.

The International Energy Agency reports that burning oil accounts for 64% of Nigeria’s total CO₂ emissions from fuel combustion.

Diesel generators significantly increase pollution and operational costs for businesses.

Beyond the energy crisis, traditional production methods further strain the environment. Many SMEs discharge untreated waste into water bodies and landfills, contaminating groundwater, blocking drainage systems, and worsening flooding.

The result is a cycle where economic activity often comes at the expense of environmental stability.

Greenpreneurs Provide Real Solutions

Greenpreneurs are disrupting this cycle by introducing sustainable, market-driven alternatives that tackle environmental challenges while creating economic value.

Renewable, Local Energy

Green entrepreneurs are deploying solar home systems, mini-grids, and clean energy technologies that replace diesel generators and kerosene. These decentralized solutions:

• ·       Reduce carbon emissions
• ·       Lower energy costs over time
• ·       Improve electricity access for homes and small businesses
• ·       Bypass weaknesses in centralized power infrastructure

With over 43% of Nigerians lacking reliable electricity, decentralized renewable systems offer a practical pathway to energy inclusion.

Source: Go Construct

Turning Waste into Value

Nigeria generates approximately 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, yet less than 10% is recycled.

Greenpreneurs are building circular economy ventures that collect, recycle, and upcycle plastic and other waste materials into new products such as:

• ·       Plastic pellets
• ·       Building materials
• ·       Decorative items and tiles

Companies like Planet 3R are demonstrating how waste can become a resource rather than a burden — reducing pollution while creating jobs and income streams.

This is not just waste management. It is economic reinvention.

Source: Planet 3R

Creating Green Jobs

Clean energy businesses, recycling enterprises, and sustainability-focused maintenance services are generating employment opportunities — particularly for youth and women.

A UNEP assessment indicates that circular economy businesses could create up to 2.5 million new jobs in Africa by 2030.

Green entrepreneurship is not only an environmental strategy; it is a youth employment strategy.

Affordable and Inclusive Business Models

Greenpreneurs are making sustainability accessible through innovative financing models such as:

• ·       Pay-as-you-go solar systems
• ·       Micro-financing structures
• ·       Community-based energy models

These approaches lower entry barriers and allow low-income households and small businesses to adopt renewable energy solutions.

Vision 2035: A Nigeria Powered by Green Innovation

By 2035, strategic investment in green entrepreneurship could fundamentally reshape Nigeria’s economic and environmental trajectory.

Imagine a Nigeria where:

• ·       Renewable energy hubs power cities and rural communities.
• ·       Cleaner air replaces generator fumes.
• ·       Waste systems reduce flooding and environmental degradation.
• ·       Rural businesses thrive due to stable energy access.
• ·       Youth-led enterprises drive climate-smart solutions nationwide.

Diesel generators — which can consume up to 50% of household and business income — would no longer dominate the energy landscape. Instead, decentralized renewable energy would provide affordable, reliable alternatives.

In this future, economic growth strengthens the environment rather than depleting it.

Recommendations for Accelerating the Shift

Achieving this vision requires coordinated action.

For Government:

• ·       Establish stable green policies and enforce environmental regulations.
• ·       Create green innovation funds.
• ·       Support renewable technology imports through subsidies and incentives.

For the Private Sector:

• ·       Invest in renewable energy infrastructure.
• ·       Adopt circular production systems.
• ·       Partner with local green innovators.

For Communities and Youth:

• ·       Support recycling and waste separation initiatives.
• ·       Adopt clean energy solutions where possible.
• ·       Participate in sustainability education and leadership programs.

A Collective Responsibility

The journey toward 2035 demands collective action. Every Nigerian has a role to play — from choosing cleaner energy options to reducing waste and supporting sustainable businesses.

Greenpreneurs are already building this future.

Source: Green-skills.org

As Arnold Schwarzenegger stated,

“The future is green energy, sustainability, renewable energy.”

That future is not distant. It is emerging — powered by innovation, driven by youth, and rooted in sustainable prosperity.

REFERENCES

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). (2023). Climate-Smart Agriculture and Food Security in Africa.

Press Release. (2021, April 27). Nigeria Businesses Lose $29 Billion Annually to Poor Electricity. The World Bank.

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). (2022). Africa Waste Management Outlook 2: Circular Economy Opportunities.

Vanguard. (2025, June). Nigeria generates plastic wastes of 2.5m tonnes annually, recycles below 10%—ActionAid.

World Bank. (2023). Electricity Access in Nigeria: Data and Diagnostics.

World Bank. (2021, April 27). Nigeria businesses lose $29 billion annually to poor electricity. [Press Release].

Oyedepo, S. O. (2021). Energy crisis and generator dependence in Nigeria: Implications for environmental sustainability. Energy Reports, 7, 385–398.

ResearchGate. (2018). Pollution from Small and Medium Size Enterprises: Less Understood and Neglected Sources in Nigerian Environment.

CONTRIBUTORS: FOR GREEN SWICTH ACEDEMY 31 - VIRIDIS INNOVARE

Aishat JUNAID, Azeezat Omowumi ABDULAZEEZ, Faith Oluwadaramola OLADEJI, Habeebah G. SODEEQ, Hikmah ONILUDE, Josephine A. OYERINDE, Mayokun V. TAYLOR, Oluwatowoju Veronica AWE, Temidayo DAUDU, Temiloluwa Ruth OYELOLA, Qudus O. OLAYIWOLA, GSAM Bilikisu PERI, and GSAM Gift IFOKWE.