Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola

Last updated
Bilikiss Adebiyi
Bilikiss Adebiyi Abiola of Wecyclers win the King Baudouin International Development Prize (32477945157) (cropped).jpg
in 2019
Born
Lagos, Nigeria
NationalityNigerian
Other namesBilikiss Adebiyi Abiola
Education
Known forCEO of Wecyclers

Bilikiss Adebiyi or Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola is a Nigerian entrepreneur who founded the Lagos-based recycling company 'Wecyclers'. [1] In 2022 she was the Director General of the Lagos State Records and Archives Bureau (LASRAB) [2] and Managing Director of the Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK). [3] She was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund. [4]

Contents

Early life

Adebiyi was born in 1983 [5] in Lagos, Nigeria, where she went to the Supreme Education Foundation secondary school. She entered the University of Lagos, but left after a year to complete her studies in America. [6] She graduated from Fisk University and then went to Vanderbilt University, where she earned a master's degree. She worked for IBM for five years before deciding to study further. She was accepted to study for a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). [7]

Wecyclers

Bilikiss Adebiyi Abiola on Ndani TV

She came up with the idea of a recycling business [8] during her second year at MIT, where she worked on waste as her specialist subject. Her initial idea was to increase the quantity of waste she could collect from households by offering them raffle tickets in exchange. When she discussed this in Nigeria on a vacation she was surprised at the enthusiasm for her ideas. [6] Waste is a particular nuisance in Lagos as only a small percentage was collected regularly. [8] Adebiyi took the idea back to MIT where she was able to gather support by entering her idea in competitions. After graduating in 2012, Adebiyi moved back to Nigeria to be with her husband. [6]

A Wecycler's tricycle - A "Wecycle" Bilikiss Adebiyi's wecycler.png
A Wecycler's tricycle – A "Wecycle"
Wecycle rubbish and recyclers in 2019 KBF Africa - Bilikiss Adebiyi Abiola and the Wecyclers in 2019.jpg
Wecycle rubbish and recyclers in 2019

In 2012, she co-founded Wecyclers, a company that collects recyclable rubbish from households in Lagos. When the business started, Adebiyi would take out a tricycle to do collections to find out more about her new business. [9] Once the rubbish is sorted, her company sends a SMS back to the household, informing them of how many points they have earned for trading in the rubbish. [10] These points can be converted for food, cleaning products, or cellphone minutes. [11] The company works in partnership with the Lagos Waste Management Authority. Lagos produces 9,000 tons of waste per day and the authority was trying to double the proportion that was recycled from the 18% figure in 2011. [10] The Nigerian economy is one of the largest economies in Africa, but the disorganisation in Lagos means that rubbish cannot always be collected. Wecyclers use modified tricycles that enable the collection of rubbish from places where normal vehicles cannot reach, [8] gathering waste from thousands of households. The company's estimate in October 2015 is that it has collected over 500 tons of rubbish, it has created value from that rubbish and has employed 80 people. [8]

Adebiyi, whose married name is Abiola, has arranged for the Coca-Cola and GlaxoSmithKline to subsidize their operation. Wecyclers had found that a significant proportion of the rubbish came from these companies and they were willing to assist with the recycling effort. [12] Guinness in Nigeria agreed to collaborate with Wecyclers in 2018. [13]

In 2017, Abebiyi stepped down as the CEO of Wecyclers to become the Managing Director of the Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK). [3] In her new role, she will be keeping open space in Lagos State attractive and carry out tree planting. [14] She is currently (2023) the Director General of Lagos State Records and Archives Bureau (LASRAB). [15]

Recognition

Adebiyi's efforts have been reported in Nigeria and D+C. [16] She has been awarded grants from MIT and she has won a number of awards, [7] including the Cartier Women's Initiative Award for sub-Saharan Africa in 2013. [17] Wecyclers were awarded the King Baudouin International Development Prize in 2018/19. [18] Fela Akinse and Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola were the only two Nigerians listed in Africa among top five waste recycling entrepreneurs in 2020. [19]

Partners

Wecycler's partners include FCMB, DHL, Unilever, Oracle, Nigerian Bottling Company and MIT Sloan School of Management. [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moshood Abiola</span> Nigerian businessman and politician (1937–1998)

Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, also known as M. K. O. Abiola was a Nigerian business magnate, publisher, and politician. He was the honorary supreme military commander of the Oyo Empire and an aristocrat of the Egba clan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Lagos</span> Public research university in Lagos, Nigeria

The University of Lagos (UNILAG) is a public research university located in Lagos, Nigeria, which was founded in 1962. UNILAG is one of the first generation universities in Nigeria and is ranked among the top universities in Africa in major education publications. The university presently has three campuses in the mainland of Lagos. Whereas two of its campuses are located at Yaba, it's college of medicine is located at Idi-Araba, Surulere. Its main campus is largely surrounded by the Lagos Lagoon and has 802 acres of land. As at 2024, the University of Lagos admits around 8,500 undergraduate students annually and enrolls over 57,000 students.

Abiola is a Nigerian name of Yoruba origin. The meaning of Abiola is "born in honour, wealth". Notable people with the name include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hafsat Abiola</span> Nigerian human rights, civil rights and democracy activist

Hafsat Olaronke Abiola-Costello, in Lagos, is a Nigerian human rights, civil rights and democracy activist, founder of the Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND), which seeks to strengthen civil society and promote democracy in Nigeria. She is President of Women in Africa Initiative (WIA), international platform for the economic development and support of African women entrepreneurs. She is also one of the founders of Connected Women Leaders (CWL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dele Momodu</span> Nigerian journalist/ CEO of Ovation International

Chief Dele Momodu is a Nigerian journalist/publisher, businessman, and motivational speaker. He is the CEO and publisher of Ovation International, a celebrity magazine. In 2015, he officially launched Ovation TV and subsequently launched an online newspaper called The Boss Newspapers. Momodu has received hundreds of awards and honors for his work in the world of business, politics, literature, the music industry and the fashion industry. He writes a weekly column called "Pendulum", published every Saturday on the back page of ThisDay newspaper. The articles have been praised for highlighting topical national issues in Nigeria, as well as discussing popular topics, current events and notable people, often in a polemic/critical style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ola Brown</span> British businesswoman

Olamide Brown, née Orekunrin, is a British-Nigerian medical doctor, healthcare entrepreneur, and founder of the Flying Doctors Healthcare Investment Group and a director of Greentree Investment Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimi Agbaje</span> Nigerian pharmacist and politician

Olujimi Kolawole Agbaje, popularly known as Jimi Agbaje;, is a Nigerian politician who has unsuccessfully contested for the governor of Lagos State for four consecutive times, between 2007 and 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicken Republic</span> Nigerian fast food chain

Chicken Republic is a Nigerian fast-food chain and franchise that specializes in chicken recipes, especially fried chicken. It was founded by Deji Akinyanju, and the first restaurant was established in Apapa, Lagos in 2004. The first Chicken Republic restaurant was opened in Lagos in 2004 and is presently trading in over 150 locations across Nigeria and Ghana.

Achenyo Idachaba is an American-born entrepreneur working in Nigeria. She won the Cartier Initiative Award for women in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2014. Her TED talk had over 1.8 million views as of 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Funke Opeke</span> Nigerian electrical engineer

Funke Opeke is a Nigerian electrical engineer, founder of Main Street Technologies and Chief Executive Officer of Main One Cable Company, a communications services company based in Lagos State, south-western Nigeria.

Ruth Obih is a lawyer, sustainability advocate and the founder and CEO of 3Invest, a real estate investment company in Nigeria.

TEDxLagos is an independent TEDx event held annually in Lagos, Nigeria. Like other TEDx events, the event obtained a free license from TED to hold the conference, with organizers agreeing to follow certain principles. In 2018, the refreshed TEDxLagos hosted 12 speakers at the Muson Centre.

Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi is a Nigerian lawyer and civil rights activist. She is the founding Director of Women Advocates Research and Documentation Center (WARDC), a non-governmental maternal and reproductive health advocacy organization which major objective is to promote women's rights, human rights, governance and rule of law.

Sonnia Agu is a Nigerian social entrepreneur. She is the founder and CEO of The Sapio Club and G1st International Foundation. She is an executive board member of the Nigerian chapter of the Pan African Youth Commission. She was listed as one of Lagos state's most influential young persons in 2020.

Marufatu Abiola Bawuah is a Ghanaian finance and businesswoman. As of 2014, she became the managing director/chief executive officer of United Bank for Africa, making her the first women to have held that position. She has won several awards for her work which includes the 2016 Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana Marketing Woman of the Year and the Finance Personality of the Year Award at the Ghana Accountancy and Finance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toyin Sanni</span> Nigerian businessperson

Oluwatoyin Sanni or Toyin Sanni is a Nigerian investment banker, lawyer, chartered secretary, stockbroker, and author. In June 2018, she resigned from United Capital. where she was Group CEO for over four years and in July 2018, she became the CEO of Emerging Africa Capital

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chebet Lesan</span> Kenyan entrepreneur (born 1990)

Chebet Lesan is a Kenyan climate activist and entrepreneur whose company BrightGreen creates charcoal briquettes from local waste materials, selling them through a network of women. Her awards include the Queen's Young Leader Award and a Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders.

Chief Abiola Dosunmu, is a Nigerian businesswoman, socialite and traditional aristocrat. In addition to a variety of other chieftaincy titles, she currently holds that of the Erelu Kuti IV of Lagos.

Adejoke Lasisi is a Nigerian fashion designer, and environmentalist known for her development of fashion products and designs using nylon and textile wastes. She is the founder and CEO of Planet 3R and Jokelinks Weaving School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wecyclers</span> A waste management company

Wecyclers is a waste management company in Nigeria that helps low-income communities exchange their recyclable waste which is measured in kilograms for cash and other rewards.

References

  1. ↑ "Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola". The Tony Elumelu Foundation. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  2. ↑ "Principal Officers – Lagos State Record And Archives Bureau, LASRAB" . Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  3. 1 2 "Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola". The Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship. Retrieved 2022-10-08.
  4. ↑ "Principal Officers". Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency. Retrieved 2022-10-08.
  5. ↑ Adebiyi-Abiola, Bilikiss; founder; WeCyclers.Born1983Lagos, CEO of; University, NigeriaNationalityNigerianAlma materFisk; University, Vanderbilt; WeCyclersWebsitelinkedin, MITOccupationCEO of WeCyclersKnown forfounding. "Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola - Disrupting Africa". disruptingafrica.com. Retrieved 2023-09-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. 1 2 3 Adebiyi-Abiola: New Face Of Waste Management In Nigeria, NGRGuardian, Retrieved 28 February 2016
  7. 1 2 Garbage in, Money Out: My Stroll With Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola, 2014, Huffington Post, Retrieved 28 February 2016
  8. 1 2 3 4 'It's money lying in the streets': Meet the woman transforming recycling in Lagos, Athlyn Cathcart-Keays, 21 October 2015, The Guardian, Retrieved 28 February 2016
  9. ↑ Young CEO – Bilikiss Adebiyi, NDaniTV, Retrieved 29 February 2016
  10. 1 2 Recycling Banks to Reduce Scavenging at Dumps in Lagos, Nigeria, January 2011, waste-management-world.com, Retrieved 28 February 2016
  11. ↑ Rawsthorn, Alice (2018). Design as an Attitude. Zurich, Switzerland: JRP | Ringier. ISBN   978-3037645215.
  12. ↑ Bilikiss Adebiyi Archived 2020-11-27 at the Wayback Machine , 2013, cartierwomensinitiative.com, Retrieved 29 February 2016
  13. ↑ Benson, Emmanuel Abara (2018-04-24). "Meet Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola, Nigeria's queen of recycling and environmental sustainability". Nairametrics. Retrieved 2020-07-26.
  14. ↑ "Principal Officers". Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency. Retrieved 2020-07-26.
  15. ↑ "Ajaero, Chima, Adebiyi-Abiola among activists in Changemakers". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 2023-06-10. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
  16. ↑ Eva-Maria Verfürth (24 May 2016). "Incentives for behaviour change". D+C, development and cooperation. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  17. ↑ "The 2013 Edition". Cartier Women's Initiative Awards. Archived from the original on 24 February 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  18. ↑ "NIGERIA: Wecyclers wins King Baudouin Award for Development in Africa". Afrik 21. 2019-03-27. Retrieved 2020-10-07.
  19. ↑ "meet africas top 5 entrepreneurs in the waste recycling business". tribuneonlineng.com. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  20. ↑ Adebiyi, Bikis (April 2017). "Bilikiss Adebiyi- Abiola: I chose waste for impact". Archived from the original on 2021-03-02. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.