Esther Agbarajor

Nigerian environmental activist advocating for plastic waste management and leading the campaign that inspired Nigeria's plastic bag ban.

Esther Agbarajor is a prominent Nigerian environmental advocate whose grassroots efforts catalyzed significant policy changes in Africa's most populous nation. Born in 1985 in Lagos, she witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of plastic pollution on coastal communities. Her United Nations Environment Programme-recognized initiative, Plastic Waste Warriors, mobilized over 500 community groups to clean up 10,000 tons of plastic waste between 2015-2020. This campaign directly influenced Nigeria's landmark 2021 plastic bag ban, making it the largest African nation to implement such legislation. Agbarajor's innovative circular economy models now serve as blueprints for West African nations. Her TEDx talk 'Plastic is Forever: A Lagos Perspective' has garnered over 2 million views, inspiring youth-led environmental movements across the continent. Through partnerships with organizations like Greenpop, she's planted over 50,000 mangroves to combat coastal erosion caused by plastic pollution. Agbarajor's work exemplifies how local activism can drive national policy shifts, earning her the 2022 Earthshot Prize nomination for her pioneering waste-to-resource initiatives.