By Barbara Nwaiwu
The United Nations Development Programme-Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (UNDP-GEF SGP) and Digital Peers International (DPI) have rewarded young Nigerian innovators in plastic waste management with cash prizes worth millions of naira and an all-expense-paid study trip to China.
The awards were presented on Friday, during the closing ceremony of the DPI-SGP 2.0 project held in Keffi, Nasarawa State. The project, themed “Deploying the Power of IT-Engaged Youth in Effective Plastic Use and Plastic Waste Management 2.0,” was designed to equip young Nigerians with digital, entrepreneurial and technological skills to address plastic pollution while building sustainable businesses.
Executive Officer of DPI, Dr. Ibukun Odusote, said the grant demonstrated how community-driven innovation and digital technology could provide practical solutions to Nigeria’s plastic pollution challenges.
She said the initiative extended beyond awareness creation by focusing on capacity building, innovation and enterprise development, community engagement, digital transformation and sustainability.
According to Odusote, the innovation challenge produced a pool of talented young innovators whose ideas required continued support beyond the grant period.
“Our goal is not simply to celebrate innovation. Our goal is to see innovation deployed for societal benefit. We will continue to work with participating teams to refine promising ideas, strengthen their technical capacity, facilitate mentorship and build partnerships that will support implementation and commercialisation,” she said.
Odusote disclosed that the emerging winners had earlier undertaken a study visit to China, where they gained exposure to advanced plastic waste management systems, recycling technologies and market opportunities.
National Coordinator of UNDP-GEF SGP Nigeria, Dr. Ibironke Olubamise, said the innovations showcased by participants reflected the creativity and determination of young Nigerians in addressing environmental challenges.
She said the project aligned with the programme’s vision of supporting community-driven initiatives that deliver environmental benefits, improve livelihoods and reduce plastic pollution.
Olubamise added that continued support for innovations, environmental sensitisation and digital platforms such as the Green Genius Academy and EcoTrade Hub would help sustain the project’s impact beyond the grant period.
Representing the Minister of Environment, Malam Balarabe Lawal, Mr. Umaru Murtala, Senior Scientific Officer in the ministry, said the initiative was equipping a new generation of young Nigerians with digital and circular economy skills.
He added that the Federal Government’s National Policy on Plastic Waste Management and the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework were intended to ensure manufacturers take responsibility for plastic waste generated from their products.
Chief Civil Engineer of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), Mr. Francis Agbarakwe, urged participants to become ambassadors of responsible plastic use by using technology to educate communities, encourage recycling and promote sustainability.
Vice-Chancellor of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Prof. Sa’adatu Liman, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research, Linkages and Innovation, Prof. Kitso Ngagu, described plastic pollution as a growing national concern that had affected Nigeria’s environmental image and called for cleaner cities and more sustainable environmental management practices.
The overall winner of the innovation challenge, Mr. Abdullahi Sulaiman-Ezhin, Founder of Triple R Recycling Limited, said his team developed a technology that converts discarded plastic waste into durable interlocking paving stones.
“We saw bad roads and plastic waste everywhere, so we decided to turn the waste into stronger interlocking paving stones that can help solve both problems,” he said.
The winning team received a cash prize of N2 million, while first and second runners-up, Uptex Limited and Apex Recycling Nigeria, received N1.6 million and N1.2 million, respectively. Other outstanding teams received N800,000 and N400,000 in recognition of their innovative solutions.
The event also featured the presentation of awards to outstanding youth innovators, the donation of plastic waste receptacles to Nasarawa State University, Keffi, and the official close-out of the DPI-SGP 2.0 project.