Get Guardian on GoogleThe Rose of Sharon Foundation has urged young Nigerians to use artificial intelligence (AI) to build products and services that solve local problems, while treating waste recovery as a viable business opportunity that can create jobs, generate income and promote environmental sustainability.
The call came at the foundation’s 2026 Youth Empowerment Programme, held over the weekend, with the theme, “Harnessing AI-Driven Resources & Circular Economy for a Sustainable Future.”
Digital Transformation Consultant at Agileplus Limited, Babajide Arulogun, said young people needed to move beyond using existing AI applications to creating digital products that address specific problems and can be sold to individuals and organisations.
He explained that developing a useful product begins with identifying a problem, understanding whom it affects and determining how a solution could meet their needs.
He said the approach could help young people identify business opportunities within their careers and communities, rather than viewing problems as obstacles to be avoided.
Arulogun outlined possible income streams, including developing digital applications for organisations, providing research and design services, setting up chatbots and automating routine tasks for small businesses, and offering training and consulting services.
He, however, warned that young developers could lose time and resources by pursuing several projects simultaneously or become discouraged when larger technology companies introduced similar products.
On the circular economy, Lead Managing Director of Green Trash Limited, Ogunlana Olusegun Adewale, said waste recovery could provide a source of income for young people if approached as a business with clear markets, proper planning and effective cost management.
He explained that materials discarded by households, markets and schools could be collected, sorted and sold to recyclers and other buyers, but warned that collecting waste without understanding its value or securing a market could expose operators to losses.
Adewale advised aspiring entrepreneurs to first identify the types of waste available in their communities, establish the quality and quantities buyers require, and agree on prices before investing in collection activities.
He noted that operators also needed to monitor collection volumes, transportation expenses and sales to determine whether their businesses were profitable.
Mentioning that proper sorting and community education could improve the value of recovered materials while reducing the amount of waste entering the environment.
Adewale encouraged participants to use AI to identify waste materials, find buyers, track quantities and calculate costs, while verifying the information generated by digital tools and protecting personal data.
NGO Coordinator of the foundation, Oloruntosin Taiwo, said the programme was designed to equip young people with practical knowledge to improve their economic prospects and identify opportunities in areas they might otherwise overlook.
According to her, the growing importance of technology across careers and businesses made it necessary for young people to improve their skills, while the circular economy offered opportunities to generate income from resources already available in their communities.
