Oluwaseyi Jesuton is leading a quiet revolution against environmental pollution in Nigeria. At just 23, her work has already touched over 10,000 lives across the country, inspiring a movement that puts the future of the planet squarely in the hands of the younger generation.
Through her NGO, U-recycle Initiative Africa, she is mobilising African youths to stand against plastic pollution and protect the environment from the impacts of climate change.
Growing up in Nigeria
Oluwaseyi Jesuton grew up seeing plastic-strewn streets and clogged waterways in Lagos State. At 16, she started advocating for the environment as a Queen’s College, Lagos student, where she was appointed a Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Ambassador. This role helped her revitalise the school’s environmental club with initiatives that reached over 2,000 girls.
At 17, Oluwaseyi saw that the youth were barely involved in environmental issues, and she wanted to change that. So, in 2018, she co-founded U-recycle Initiative Africa to inspire the youth to protect the environment.
Oluwaseyi drives environmental change with U-recycle
When Oluwaseyi Jesuton co-founded U-recycle Initiative Africa, she wanted to call out young Africans to participate in environmental protection. In no time, she went from creating awareness campaigns in her community to mobilising resources for larger environmental projects.
The NGO, now six years old, has grown into a powerful force, implementing over 50 youth-driven projects to tackle plastic pollution and promote climate education across Africa.
One of their flagship campaigns focuses on plastic pollution awareness, educating people on the devastating effects of single-use plastics on Nigeria’s environment. U-recycle has used storytelling and outreach efforts to reach thousands, inspiring communities to rethink waste and embrace sustainable practices.
She and her team also developed a gamified learning platform to make climate education interactive and engaging, especially for younger audiences. After this, they came up with the “talking” recycling bins. The bins speak every time rubbish is thrown into them using an optional voice box that records a particular message or plays a song. These bins, deployed in universities across Nigeria, “speak” and encourage students to dispose of waste properly while educating them on recycling.
Furthermore, U-recycle hosts climate education workshops in low-income schools in underserved communities. Its work has attracted funding and partnerships from major entities, including the National Geographic Society, the Government of Canada, and the Captain Planet Foundation.
On Jesuton’s journey to ensuring that Young Africans are a huge part of the climate conversation, she has recorded notable achievements and recognitions, including the Diana Award 2022, Global Teen Leader Award 2021, Future Award, and Africa’s 2023 Young Person of the Year. She has also spoken at global forums such as the United Nations and COP summits.
