Funded by the University of California, Irvine’s Blum Center for Poverty Alleviation, Christopher Ihinegbu organized a three-day capacity development training from June 9 to 11, 2025. This training, the “Lagos Upcycling and Flood Mitigation Fellowship,” selected ten young, outstanding environmental advocates from flood-impacted communities in Lagos State. These fellows include Victoria Osinimu Benson, Balgees Adekunle, Daniel Olutayo, Paul Olarewaju, Rofiat Ganiyu, Nurudeen Ogundipe, Okosun Hannah, Mayokun Taylor and Henrietta Ihinegbu.

On the first day of the fellowship, fellows were introduced to flood mitigation in vulnerable communities by experts from the Geohazards Risk Mapping Initiative (GRMI). On Day 2, fellows participated in a hands-on upcycling practical. Fellows created three center tables using old car tires in various designs. On day 3, fellows made three PET bottle Ottoman Seats from used PET plastics and cartons. Experts from Plogging Nigeria, Ayodeji Omolabu and Funmilola Ogunjobi, facilitated the hands-on training on days 2 and 3.

Attesting to the impact of this fellowship, one of the fellows, Rofiat Ganiyu, said, “Throughout this journey, I gained valuable insights into climate change and flood mitigation, learning not only about the science behind these issues but also about practical, community-driven solutions. One of the most impactful parts of the program was the hands-on approach: instead of just talking about change, we became the change.”

Another fellow, Henrietta Ihinegbu, said, “Participating in this fellowship reinforced my commitment to youth-led environmental and social innovations. Learning how to transform locally-sourced waste into valuable items was the highlight of the fellowship.”

Speaking with the convener of the fellowship, Christopher Ihinegbu, on the impact of the program, he said, “This fellowship addresses human-induced floods in Lagos. Apart from empowering ten young people with upcycling and green economy skills, the fellows conducted PET bottle Ottoman step-down trainings in five high schools in Lagos Mainland, namely, Iwaya Girls Junior High School, Eletu Odibo Senior High School, Yaba, St. Francis Junior High School, Herbert Macaulay Girls Senior High School and Jibowu Junior High School. By virtue of this step-down training, this project reached out to and empowered over 700 high school students in Lagos Mainland.”