CADEF and JLA Highlight Green Entrepreneurs in Food Innovation Call for Applications

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CADEF and JLA Highlight Green Entrepreneurs in Food Innovation Call for Applications

A Milestone in Renewable Energy Innovation

The Consumer Advocacy and Empowerment Foundation (CADEF), in partnership with Jacob’s Ladder Africa (JLA), recently celebrated the graduation of the first cohort of its GreenLabs Renewable Energy Innovation Challenge. This 10-month incubation program aimed to provide young Nigerians with hands-on skills in renewable energy and green entrepreneurship, marking a significant step forward in fostering innovation and sustainability.

During the event, Prof. Chiso Ndukwe-Okafor, Executive Director of CADEF, delivered a keynote address that highlighted the achievements of the graduates. She praised them for transforming their ideas into tangible innovations and reflected on the origins of the GreenLabs initiative, which began as a conversation in South Africa and has now taken root in Nigeria. The program embodies a vision of homegrown creativity and sustainable progress.

“I see the wisdom of God in how these young people birthed ideas and turned them into reality,” Prof. Ndukwe-Okafor said. “This embodies my vision of a Nigeria where we become producers, not just consumers; innovators, not imitators.”

She encouraged the participants to "go beyond the narrative and become the narrative," challenging them to lead innovations that drive national development and sustainability. Additionally, she announced that applications for Cohort 2 of the GreenLabs Innovation Challenge will soon open, with the theme “Food Systems, Green Energy, Green Economy, and Food Security.”

Government Support and Encouragement

The event, held in Lagos, featured goodwill messages from representatives of key Lagos State ministries. Engr. (Mrs.) Ibilola Olufolake Kasunmu, representing the Permanent Secretary, and Engr. Kanike Akmed Abayomi, Assistant Director at the Engineering and IT Infrastructure Unit of the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, congratulated the graduates for their creativity and resilience.

Abayomi encouraged them to continue developing solutions that align with the State’s smart city vision and contribute to a greener, energy-efficient Lagos. From the Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Mrs. Sorun Sayo Olohejeveri, Deputy Director, Youth Development, conveyed the goodwill message of the Permanent Secretary, Pharm. (Mrs.) Toyin Oke-Osanyintolu.

Olohejeveri applauded the graduates’ mastery of renewable energy skills, emphasizing that “renewable energy is not just beneficial it is essential.” She assured participants of the government’s continued support for innovation, youth empowerment, and skills development.

Vision for the Future

Sellah Bogonko, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Jacob’s Ladder Africa (JLA), commended the graduates for their perseverance and innovation throughout the incubation journey. “Africa’s greatest resource is its people especially its young innovators,” Bogonko stated. “What we’re seeing here today is not just a graduation; it’s a movement of young Africans designing the future of clean energy and sustainability.”

She reaffirmed JLA’s commitment to scaling the GreenLabs model across Africa, enabling more youth to transform ideas into sustainable businesses and livelihoods.

Mr. Olufunsho Peters, Chief Executive Officer of Infinion Technologies Limited, also delivered an inspiring address, describing the graduates as “energy architects” who have the potential to reshape Nigeria’s renewable energy landscape. “Your graduation today is not an ending, it’s the beginning of a new sprint,” he said. “Every business must evolve. Keep innovating, because the market will catch up faster than you expect.”

Peters shared insights from his own entrepreneurial journey in Lagos, highlighting the value of mentorship and incubation programmes like GreenLabs, which he said provide young innovators with the guidance and resources that were once scarce.

Recognition of Key Contributors

The ceremony concluded with acknowledgements to mentors, investors, and institutional partners whose collaboration has helped position GreenLabs as a leading platform for youth-led climate innovation and green entrepreneurship in Nigeria.


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