Climate-tech entrepreneurs from Nigeria seek assistance from the United States to combat the climate crisis
ABUJA – Nigerian entrepreneurs in the climate-tech sector are seeking to address the climate crisis with support from the United States. The first Nigerian Climate Resilience Salon, supported by the U.S. Consulate General, brought together women-led organizations, climate-tech entrepreneurs, as well as representatives from the public and private sectors who are leading efforts to combat climate change in their communities.
The Nigerian Climate Resilience Salon was organized by Shelley Taylor, a veteran of Silicon Valley technology, and Folawemi Umunna, a participant of the U.S. Department of State-funded International Visitors Leadership Program. The event received support from the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos.
The salon attracted a distinguished group of attendees, including Kenise Hill, the Acting Political and Economic Section Chief of the United States Consulate General; Omotunde Adeola, the Deputy Director of the Federal Ministry of the Environment; Mustapha Habib Ahmed, the Director General of NEMA (National Emergency Management Agency); and Ini Umoh from the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources.
In her welcome address, Shelley Taylor, the convener of the Climate Resilience Salons, highlighted the importance of the Lagos Climate Salon, stating that women are often the most affected by the climate crisis and are the first to respond to it within their communities. Taylor also emphasized the goal of helping women working in nonprofits to transform their work into profitable businesses in the climate solutions sector, thus increasing their family wealth and influence in society. Additionally, she acknowledged the need for support to scale climate tech solutions across regions and borders.
Kenise Hill stressed the urgent need for sustainable strategies to address the climate change crisis, which leads to loss of lives and property. She emphasized the importance of developing effective disaster management and building skills to promote climate resilience.
Mr. Abdullahi Adamu Usur, Deputy Director of Research and Forecasting representing the Director-General of NEMA, expressed gratitude to the organizers and recognized the timeliness of the Lagos Climate Resilience Salon in the face of climate-related hazards in Nigeria. He assured that strategies such as effective disaster management and skill-building would be adopted to enhance climate resilience.
Adeola, from the Federal Ministry of the Environment, highlighted the need to bridge the awareness gap, promote alternative power generation to reduce anthropogenic emissions, and pledged that the government would take further action to ensure environmental sustainability.
Blessing Irabor, president of the Organization of Women in Trade (OWIT), thanked Shelley Taylor for her initiative and emphasized the importance of government collaboration with private organizations and NGOs, as well as the need for policy reforms to assist women in navigating through climate change-induced disasters.
The salon featured women-led organizations in the climate tech sector, including founders of Nigerian climate tech companies such as Doyinsola Ogunye (founder of Kids Beach Garden), the founder of Shoreline Euphoria, and Joy Egbe (co-founder of Newdigit Technology). They shared their experiences with other women, including Baliqees Salaudeen-Ibrahim (Green Republic Farms), a farmer and climate activist, Olasimbo Sojinrin (founding country director, Nigeria, of Solar Sister), and Folawemi Umunna (founder of Climate and Ecological Protection Initiative).
