By Juliet Umeh

The Consumer Advocacy and Empowerment Foundation, CADEF, in partnership with Jacob’s Ladder Africa, JLA, on Thursday, announced the graduation of the inaugural cohort of the GreenLabs Incubation Programme.

The event marked the culmination of nine transformative months during which young African innovators developed bold ideas into market-ready, climate-smart solutions.

Executive Director of CADEF, Prof. Chiso Ndukwe-Okafor, described the GreenLabs programme as a vital pan-African initiative committed to nurturing the continent’s next generation of green innovators and entrepreneurial leaders.

She said: “Running concurrently in both Nigeria and Kenya, the programme underscores a shared continental commitment to driving green innovation while accelerating Africa’s just transition to a low-carbon, circular economy.”

Prof. Ndukwe-Okafor explained that the journey for the Lagos Cohort 1 innovators began with a highly competitive selection process that attracted passionate young Nigerians determined to pioneer change.

“Following an intensive Renewable Energy Innovation Challenge, the most promising ideas advanced into the incubation phase,” she said.

“For ten months, these entrepreneurs participated in a rigorous curriculum of capacity-building workshops, technical mentorship, knowledge transfer, and business coaching. They didn’t just learn, they refined and scaled their ideas into viable ventures with real-world impact.”

She added that the graduating cohort is unveiling solutions that are already redefining sustainability in their communities.

“Standout enterprises include ventures turning organic waste into clean, renewable energy; deploying low-cost, solar-powered irrigation systems to boost food security for smallholder farmers; and creating innovative recycling and upcycling models that generate income while reducing environmental footprints,” Ndukwe-Okafor stated.

According to her, “The GreenLabs programme is proof that sustainability starts with empowerment. This first cohort hasn’t just developed innovative ideas; they’ve created viable, scalable enterprises. They are not merely responding to Africa’s climate challenges, they are building the profitable, long-term solutions our continent desperately needs. This is the future of African enterprise.”

The graduation ceremony celebrated the innovators’ resilience and the strong partnership between CADEF and Jacob’s Ladder Africa. Together, both organisations are fostering a growing network of African changemakers equipped to address the continent’s most pressing environmental and economic challenges through innovation.

Chief Innovation Officer at Jacob’s Ladder Africa, Karen Chelangat, said: “Our mission is to ensure African youth are the architects of the green economy, not just its beneficiaries. The success of Cohort 1 fuels our commitment to further scale this impact. Cohort 2 will strengthen this movement, building the green jobs, green skills, and green enterprises that will drive inclusive and resilient growth across the continent.”

Building on this success, CADEF has opened applications for the GreenLabs Incubation Programme Cohort 2. The next phase promises expanded cross-country collaborations, strategic partnerships, and greater opportunities for aspiring green entrepreneurs to design and deploy sustainable solutions in their communities.

Young Nigerians passionate about sustainability, entrepreneurship, and innovation are encouraged to apply and join the growing ecosystem of changemakers building Africa’s green future.