The Consumer Advocacy and Empowerment Foundation (CADEF), in collaboration with Jacob’s Ladder Africa (JLA), has celebrated the graduation of the inaugural cohort of its GreenLabs Renewable Energy Innovation Challenge, a 10-month incubation programme designed to equip young Nigerians with practical skills in renewable energy and green entrepreneurship.
Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Chiso Ndukwe-Okafor, Executive Director of CADEF, lauded the graduates for transforming ideas into real-world innovations. She recalled that the GreenLabs vision began as a conversation in South Africa and has now taken root in Nigeria, embodying 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 urged participants to “go beyond the narrative and become the narrative,” challenging them to lead innovations that drive national development and sustainability.
Prof. Ndukwe-Okafor also 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.”
The event, held in Lagos, featured goodwill messages from representatives of key Lagos State ministries. Representing the Permanent Secretary, Engr. (Mrs.) Ibilola Olufolake Kasunmu, 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.
In her remarks, 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.
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.
