Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola: From MIT to WeCyclers and Public Service, Driving Sustainability in Nigeria

From MIT to Lagos: Building WeCyclers

Africa Interviews: It’s quite interesting – from your corporate job in America to the bustling streets of Lagos, and you also studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). How were you able to transform a classroom idea into WeCyclers, a movement that has touched thousands of lives? Looking back, what were the pivotal moments that convinced you this was more than just a business opportunity?

BILIKISS: I always joke that I fell and hit my head, because I can’t explain it otherwise. But really, it was about seeing an opportunity at the right time. I was already thinking about coming back to Nigeria, and WeCyclers became the anchor for that move.

At MIT, I took a class called Development Ventures, where we had to design and test business ideas for the developing world. I even came to Nigeria during that period to run tests, and it became clear that there were real opportunities here.

MIT itself is an incredible ecosystem – competitions, incubators, accelerators. Winning some of those gave us momentum. That momentum, plus the validation we got, gave me the courage to uproot my life – children and all – and return to Nigeria to start.

When we began in Lagos, it was obvious: plastic was everywhere. But the community embraced us. The model was simple – solve a problem by testing, iterating, and figuring out how to create and sustain value. Step by step, we figured out how to collect waste, pay and motivate people, and make the process work. Strategic funding through grants and sponsorships kept us going. That’s how WeCyclers was born.

Shifting Behaviour Around Waste

Lagos generates over 9,000 tonnes of waste daily. Is that figure accurate?

BILIKISS: It’s even more, closer to 15,000 tonnes.

Yet recycling remains a challenge. What hard truths have you learned about changing public behaviour, and what strategies have proven most effective?

BILIKISS: The recycling landscape has improved significantly. Look in Lagos today – you won’t see plastic bottles clogging gutters like before. That’s partly because people now see value in waste, thanks to companies like WeCyclers. In lower-income communities, where people earn money from waste, recycling thrives. But in middle- and higher-income areas, where the incentive is weaker, recycling is slower to catch on. For them, policy intervention is crucial.

Also, it’s important to note that plastics make up only about 15% of Lagos’s waste. Half of it is organic. Tackling waste holistically means addressing organics too. And then there are materials that were once thought unrecyclable – like Tetra Pak and Styrofoam – that technology is now making recyclable. Creating sustainable demand across the value chain is key.

Looking back, what was your biggest challenge in the early days?

BILIKISS: Transportation. We started with bicycles, but they weren’t efficient. Riders got tired, attrition rates were high, and we couldn’t afford automated vehicles. It was a struggle to keep the system sustainable, and people motivated.

Did you ever think of giving up?

BILIKISS: Every day. When I first returned to Nigeria, I lived with my parents. I had no job, no steady income. I told myself: You have a good CV; if this doesn’t work, you can always go back.

But the moment of quitting never came. Each day I walked into our hubs, saw families depending on us, saw women and men earning livelihoods, saw communities benefiting—it motivated me. The thought of where all that rubbish would be if we hadn’t collected it kept me going.

Lessons from Public Service

You’ve successfully navigated both entrepreneurship and public service, from running WeCyclers to leading LASPARK, LASRAB, and now LASRRA. How has that shaped your understanding of sustainable development in Nigeria?

BILIKISS: In the private sector, we often underestimate government. But inside government, especially in Lagos State, I’ve seen how much machinery is actually at work. Government is like a huge ship—it can change direction, but slowly.

Reforms in government may appear slow from the outside, but this is because laws take time to pass. That patience ensures reforms are not fleeting, but lasting. One challenge is that many public servants are generalists. Unlike private sector specialists, they are trained to adapt quickly and thrive in any environment. This flexibility is deliberate—it ensures government institutions remain resilient. That is why knowledge exchange and private sector support are vital to bridging the gap and ensuring reforms are both technically sound and sustainable.

To Lagos State’s credit, we’ve seen bold steps like the bans on plastic bags and styrofoam. They weren’t easy, especially for low-income communities, but they were necessary for the environment – and people adjusted.

Corporate Responsibility Beyond CSR

You’ve worked with global brands – Unilever, Guinness, Nestlé. What does it take to get big corporations to genuinely commit to sustainability beyond CSR headlines?

BILIKISS: Let me be frank – there’s a lot of noise in this space. Those of us inside know who’s serious and who isn’t. Unilever stands out because sustainability is part of their DNA. They don’t expect overnight miracles. They trust their partners and understand that impact takes time.

On the other hand, I’ve sat with companies who spend millions on billboards but balk at funding real recycling incentives. That’s misplaced priority. Imagine the impact if they put that money into empowering people—like paying households for waste collection.

We’ve seen stories like Iya Daniel, a woman who used to earn about ₦30,000 a month. After joining WeCyclers, she made $600 in three months. That’s transformative. If brands connected their products to such real impact, people would buy more out of loyalty. That’s the shift Nigeria needs -beyond glamour, towards impact.

A Challenge to Nigeria’s Leaders

At the upcoming Africa Interviews Sustainability Forum, you’ll be speaking to leaders, policymakers, innovators, and change-makers. If you could challenge them – and all Nigerians -to take one bold action in the next 12 months for a cleaner, greener future, what would it be?

BILIKISS: We need to stop talking and start doing. Sustainability in Nigeria is tied to poverty and unemployment. Done right, it can lift people out of poverty while protecting the environment. Tree planting, waste collection, community clean-ups – these can all create jobs and empower people. My challenge is simple: see sustainability not as a luxury, but as an economic opportunity. Let’s move from rhetoric to action.

Africa Interviews: More action-driven…

BILIKISS: Yes. Action. Results.