By Zika Bobby
Transform West Africa, an impact accelerator led by Unilever, the United Kingdom government, and EY, has awarded £500,000 in grant funding to five West African enterprises focused on circularity and regenerative agriculture.
These grantees were recognised and celebrated at an event last night hosted by the British Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos.
The selected organisations will also receive business insight, practical experience, resources and access to networks through Unilever and EY, to scale and maximise their impact.
TRANSFORM, a global initiative led from the United Kingdom, appointed Nigerian representatives from Unilever, the British High Commission and EY, to guide the selection process. Colleagues in the region leveraged local networks to source enterprises, attracting over 100 applications. The winners in Nigeria include: Chanja Datti: A startup decentralising plastic waste processing with Micro-Recycling Plants (MRPs) near waste collection points; Planet 3R, A social enterprise enhancing the livelihoods of women and youths in Nigeria by teaching them weaving skills to convert plastic and textile waste into functional goods (e.g., bags, boxes); and Scrapays, A digital platform connecting waste producers to aggregators and processors.
British Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos, Mr Jonny Baxter praised the innovators’ creative approach to plastic waste management, stating: “It’s very promising to see so many strong candidates working to reduce, collect and process plastic waste.
With the World Earth Day fast approaching, we’re proud to support three Nigerian enterprises – Scrapays, Chanja Datti, and Planet3R who are demonstrating how digital networks can address recycling challenges and create economic growth while contributing to the global net-zero agenda.”
Country Managing Director, Unilever Nigeria, Tobi Adeniyi, highlighted the importance of TRANSFORM’s approach which puts decision-making power into the hands of local leaders.
“At TRANSFORM, we strongly believe that the best solutions are those developed by those closest to the challenge at hand. By tapping into our networks and expertise, we were able to use our local lens to identify the best innovators in the region.” he said.