The Foundation for a Better Environment (FABE Foundation), in partnership with Deloitte Nigeria, has awarded N3.5 million in seed funding to young sustainability leaders to promote environmental sustainability.
The grants were awarded to the top three participants at the FABE Foundation EcoLeaders Accelerator Programme 2026 Closeout, Impact Showcase and Green Innovation Pitch held on Thursday in Lagos.
The programme aims to empower young sustainability leaders to develop and implement practical solutions to environmental challenges.
Speaking at the event, Mrs Temitope Okunnu, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of FABE International Foundation, thanked Deloitte Nigeria for supporting the initiative.
Okunnu said the programme was designed to equip young people with the knowledge, confidence and skills needed to develop solutions to environmental challenges.
She said awareness of climate change, waste management problems and unemployment was insufficient without practical solutions, innovation, enterprise and leadership.
“We need young people who can connect these challenges to solutions, enterprise, innovation, policy, leadership and action. That is what EcoLeaders was created to do,” she said.
Okunnu said participants had undergone intensive training at the FABE Institute of Sustainability over the past few months.
She said 10 finalists presented practical sustainability solutions to environmental and community challenges during the Green Innovation Pitch.
According to her, the top three participants would receive a total of N3.5 million in seed funding to implement their ideas.
Okunnu said the first-place winner would receive N2 million, the second-place winner N1 million and the third-place winner N500,000.
She said the initiative sought to bridge the gap between training young people and providing them with opportunities to implement their ideas.
“We want our EcoLeaders to leave here knowing that their ideas matter. That they can start where they are,” she said.
Okunnu added that knowledge, mentorship, partnerships and determination could help transform small ideas into solutions capable of improving communities.
Also speaking, Mrs Olajumoke Agbetanmije, Nigerian Sustainability Consultant for Deloitte West Africa, commended FABE Foundation for successfully implementing the 2026 EcoLeaders Accelerator Programme.
Agbetanmije reaffirmed Deloitte’s commitment to initiatives that promote sustainable development and build the capacity of young leaders.
She said developing leaders capable of advancing a green economy was essential to the sustainable future of Nigeria and Africa.
“At Deloitte, our strategy is deeply rooted in impacting lives, doing impacts that really matter. And that is why you see us doing initiatives about climate change,” she said.
Agbetanmije said the organisation’s climate initiatives focused on communities, clients and its workforce while promoting meaningful climate action.
She stressed the importance of developing young leaders capable of creating sustainable solutions for Nigeria and Africa.
The Special Assistant to the President on Climate Change Matters, Mr Yusuf Kelani, represented by Mr Taiwo Adewole, also commended FABE International Foundation for developing young sustainability leaders.
Kelani said building a climate-resilient Nigeria required investment in young people, practical green skills and opportunities to turn innovative ideas into impactful solutions.
He said initiatives such as the EcoLeaders Accelerator Programme could advance climate action, circular economy development, green entrepreneurship and environmental sustainability.
Kelani also commended the Green Innovation Pitch for providing young innovators with opportunities to showcase their solutions and access mentorship, partnerships and resources.
He said the Office of the Special Assistant to the President on Climate Change Matters remained committed to supporting initiatives that empowered young Nigerians to contribute to the country’s green transition.
Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Government, Mrs Titi Oshodi, called for effective policy implementation to advance sustainability efforts.
Oshodi commended FABE Foundation and its partners for creating a platform that encouraged young people to develop solutions to environmental challenges.
She said effective sustainability efforts required policies to guide action, skilled personnel, businesses capable of delivering solutions and financing to support viable ideas.
Oshodi said the Climate Change Act of 2021 provided a framework for climate action, while national policies on solid waste and plastic waste management guided waste management and resource recovery.
She stressed the need to translate policy commitments into practical results for businesses and communities.
Oshodi added that effective implementation would create opportunities for businesses and workers while ensuring that young people played meaningful roles in the sustainability transition.
