Chief Executive Officer, Managing Director, Taiwo Adewole and Associates Ltd. Lagos, Nigeria. Age: 34
A self- professed high achiever who is recognized in Nigeria and internationally for his environmental activism and entrepreneurship, Taiwo Adegboyega Adewole is the architect of a movement to protect the ecological wealth of his homeland. After receiving a bachelor?s degree in geography and a master?s in environmental resources management from Lagos State University, he launched his crusade for climate change and waste management. ?Environmental awareness is very important not only in Nigeria but also worldwide,? he says. ?We are witnessing a lot of environmental disasters worldwide, especially among the developing nations, and Nigeria is not left out.?
Adewole is the CEO of Taiwo Adewole and Associates, an environment consultancy he established in Lagos State. He also is the technical manager (at large) for Sustainable Energy, Britain, and this year was appointed the Nigeria contact for Energy Consulting International Austria. He consults for several local and international companies and nonprofits, including Franaarp Technologies Ltd., Richflood International Ltd. and The Africa Initiative, London; belongs to numerous professional and advocacy organizations; and is a frequent presenter at international programs.
Winner of Britain?s Rehab Plus Innovation competition for Africa in 2006, he organized the first National Climate March in Nigeria in 2007, hosted World Environment Day 2007 in Nigeria, co-sponsored by the Lagos State Ministry of Environment, and organized the first Environmental Awareness Workshop on Pollution and Pipeline Vandalism for Niger Delta stakeholders in 2009. He was nominated by the International Biographical Centre in England for the 2007 Scientist of the Year award and was voted one of the ?Top 100 of Our Generation? in 2007.
Among his many career highlights, Adewole was one of three Nigerian participants in President Barack Obama?s 2010 forum with young African Leaders. He is building ?armies? of young leaders and encouraging entrepreneurship in Nigeria, he says, and hopes to set up eco/Green schools throughout the country. ?I am someone who doesn?t believe the sky is the limit, but the beginning,? he declares.
Fun Facts
Nickname: T Bobo
Favorite food: Pounded yam with egusi soup
Favorite sports team: Arsenal Football Club
Favorite kinds of movies: Nollywood movies
Last movie: 2012
List the languages you speak: English and Yoruba