Ambition and Daring is key to UNLEASHing
My name is Sandra Onwuekwe, a Medical Doctor, Social Entrepreneur and Tech Enthusiast. I grew up and still live in Lagos. Lagos, the commercial hub of Nigeria, is home to about 21 million Nigerians out of the estimated 186 million Nigerians by World Bank in 2016. Lagos is a beautiful city, especially at night, with amazing beaches and beautiful spots for relaxation. But, one thing which plagues my city and irritates me is the filth. Piles of trash on the streets is a common issue. Lagosians (the name given to people who live in Lagos) have a nonchalant attitude towards waste disposal, littering the streets with waste, even if a dust bin is just 100 metres away. There is this unconcern about where waste ended. The Lagos state government has tried to respond to this crisis by instituting a Waste Management Authority since 2007. Statistics show that Lagos produces about 13000 tonnes of waste daily, which results to about 4 million tonnes of waste generated yearly. About 20–30% of waste generated is collected and sent to the landfill. The rest either ends up being burnt, piled in the streets, blocking drainages or finds its way through waterways into the canal, beaches or ocean. Landfilling is not a sustainable waste management practice, with consequences like pollution, the release of greenhouse gases and a waste of valuable resources. This environmental crisis became my concern six years ago. I began to ask myself if there was a better way to tackle this crisis. I complained about the crisis, hoping that someone will find a solution. Even as people try to find solutions, there is still a lot of unmet environmental needs.
Mark Zuckerberg in his Harvard Commencement Speech 2017 said: “a change in the world that seems so clear you’re sure someone else will do it. But they won’t. You will”.
Fast forward to 2017, with daring and a desire to contribute to tackling the environmental crisis, I co-founded Ecoprune with my friend and partner Wunmi Ogunde, with a vision of providing environmental solutions and green energy. Ecoprune operates a waste recycling scheme that allows people exchange recyclable waste for incentives. To create a sustainable environment, we must begin to think of achieving a zero waste and circular economy in Nigeria and Africa. For us, at Ecoprune, the goal is diverting from landfills and recycling every form of waste generated. Achieving a zero waste economy is ambitious, but we know it can be done.
“Now it’s our turn to do great things. I know you’re probably thinking: I don’t know how…But let me tell you a secret: no one does when they begin. Ideas don’t come out fully formed. They only become clear as you work on them. You just have to get started” — Mark Zuckerberg. Harvard Commencement Speech 2017.
I know that we are not alone in this ambitious desire for social change. The UNLEASH innovation lab is bringing 1000 super ambitious individuals, burning with a desire to enact change in the world. I am delighted to be part of this! For me, I look forward to the following: Learn, Share, Network, Connect and Collaborate. This is already taking place on the various social media platforms that have been formed Pre UNLEASH! I look forward to the disruption at UNLEASH in Denmark.
I CAN’T WAIT TO UNLEASH!
Can you?
