Blessing Okwu

A Nigerian entrepreneur revolutionizing waste management through tech-driven solutions

Blessing Okwu is a visionary Nigerian entrepreneur and environmental advocate whose company Eco2Recycle has transformed urban waste management across West Africa. Launched in 2021, her startup uses AI-powered sorting systems and blockchain tracking to convert 80% of Lagos' daily waste into reusable materials. This innovative approach has created over 500 green jobs while reducing landfill use by 40% in partner cities. Okwu's TEDx talk "Waste to Wealth: Nigeria's Circular Economy Revolution" has garnered 2.3M views, inspiring similar initiatives in Accra and Dakar. Her work aligns with UN SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption) and recently earned her a 2023 Cartier Women's Initiative Award. Okwu's journey began after witnessing plastic-choked waterways during her engineering studies at Covenant University, motivating her to blend tech solutions with community education programs. The company's mobile app EcoTrack now connects 15,000+ waste collectors to recycling centers through real-time mapping. In 2024, she partnered with the African Development Bank to scale her model to 5 additional countries, demonstrating how grassroots innovation can address global environmental challenges.