SustyVibes
Adenike Akinsemolu is a passionate environmental researcher, educator, and female child advocate. Born in Ondo State Nigeria, Adenike is the author of numerous studies, which have appeared in reputable publications. Her passion for the environment propelled her to study Environmental Microbiology at Babcock University. Subsequently, she received a postgraduate diploma in Education at Obafemi Awolowo University.
A former intern at Clinton Foundation, Adenike’s work and enthusiasm for youth and the environment have taken her all over the world. In order to make environmentalism a part of the everyday experience of Nigerians, Adenike started the Green Campus Initiative. This initiative began at the Adeyemi College Campus, a college of Obafemi Awolowo University, where she is a lecturer. By creating Green ambassadors on college campuses across Nigeria, Adenike’s movement aims to positively impact the ways in which Nigerian youth incorporate green living into all elements of their lives – from riding bikes to taking shorter showers.
Additionally, Adenike founded the Girl Prize, which provides financial and mentorship support for young Nigerian secondary school girls with an interest in the sciences. She currently an Associate Fellow of the Royal Commonwealth Society and recently appointed as a member of the National Steering Committee of the Sustainable Energy Practitioners Association of Nigeria under the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing.
When she is not raising the next generation of green leaders or women scientists, she can be found working on her PhD in Environmental Microbiology, spending time in nature, and playing sports. Read her interview below:
If you had 2 minutes to sell yourself to a potential investor, how would you introduce yourself?
I am the founder of the Green Campus Initiative – the first campus-based green education initiative in Nigerian higher education institutions. I am also recognised within Nigeria to be at the forefront of actively campaigning for the inclusion of green education and sustainability in the academic curriculum.