In Nigeria, two urgent problems continue to collide: unreliable electricity and mounting waste. Millions of households and small businesses struggle with inconsistent power supply, while plastic and electronic waste clog drainage systems, pollute communities, and damage ecosystems. For many, these are separate crises. For Abah Emmanuel, they are one opportunity.
Abah Emmanuel is a student of Educational Technology at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, and the founder of Waste2Light, a clean-tech startup focused on transforming plastic and electronic waste into affordable renewable energy systems. While most students are focused solely on passing exams, Emmanuel is building wind turbines and renewable energy kits designed to power schools, homes, and small businesses.
The Problem: Energy Poverty and Environmental Waste
The Problem: Energy Poverty and Environmental Waste
Nigeria’s electricity deficit remains a barrier to education, productivity, and economic growth. In many communities, power is either unreliable or completely unavailable. Students struggle to study at night. Small businesses rely on expensive fuel generators. Opportunities are limited by darkness.
At the same time, plastic and electronic waste continue to accumulate at alarming rates. Poor waste management systems mean that recyclable materials often end up in landfills or waterways, contributing to environmental degradation and public health risks.
These challenges are not abstract statistics for Emmanuel. Growing up in a community where electricity was a luxury, he experienced firsthand how limited power supply affects education and opportunity. Studying at night was difficult. Productivity was constrained. The gap between potential and access was clear.
That lived experience became the foundation of Waste2Light.
The Solution: Upcycling Waste into Renewable Energy
The Solution: Upcycling Waste into Renewable Energy
Waste2Light is built on a simple but powerful idea: what if the materials choking our environment could become the foundation for powering our communities?
The startup upcycles plastic and electronic waste into high-performance wind turbines and renewable energy kits. Instead of importing expensive systems, Waste2Light focuses on locally sourced materials and practical designs tailored to community needs. By doing so, the venture addresses two problems simultaneously: waste management and energy access.
The approach is both environmental and economic. Turning waste into energy systems reduces pollution while lowering production costs, making renewable solutions more accessible to underserved communities.
Balancing academic responsibilities with hands-on innovation has been one of the hardest parts of Emmanuel’s journey. Managing coursework, funding challenges, design iterations, and field testing requires discipline and sacrifice. Time is limited. Resources are tight. The pressure is constant.
Yet, this is exactly what makes the story powerful.
Waste2Light is not the product of a fully equipped research lab or a large funding round. It is being built from a university environment, through persistence, creativity, and incremental progress. Emmanuel embodies a growing movement of student founders who are not waiting until after graduation to start solving real problems.
Lessons for Student Innovators
Lessons for Student Innovators
One key lesson Emmanuel has learned is that innovation is not about perfect resources; it is about creative use of what is available. Waiting for ideal conditions often means never starting. Progress happens through experimentation, iteration, and resilience.
His journey demonstrates that solutions to complex national problems do not always begin in boardrooms or policy documents. Sometimes, they begin in classrooms, workshops, and campus hostels.
By sharing his story on Innov8 Hub’s Student Founder Network, Emmanuel hopes to inspire other students to see challenges as opportunities. Africa’s energy and environmental problems are significant, but so is the ingenuity of its young innovators.
This story is part of the Innov8 Student Founders Network, where we spotlight student innovators building solutions that matter.
Are you a student founder? Are you interested in sharing your story to inspire others? Follow the link to send us your story.
