The plastic block maker

Hey Enviropreneurs!

This is another month of the year, to discuss about great minds making impact for a sustainable environment. We have today a plastic block maker……

Yeah, you heard me right, he makes blocks from plastics. Let’s read and find out.

Aliyu Sadiq is an environmentalist, climate change activist, and social entrepreneur with over three (3) years experience working in the development sector to promote sustainable development through advocacy engagements, policy influencing, innovative solutions and the promotion of environmental best practices.

He is a graduate of Geography and Environmental Management from the University of Abuja and a Member of the Nigerian Environmental Society.

Growing up in Jos, a suburban community in North Central Nigeria, Aliyu saw firsthand the effects of climate change and other environmental issues affecting his community.

Flooding was a common occurrence in his neighborhood, with devastating consequences. It claimed lives and destroyed properties, displacing many residents to neighbouring communities. He also witnessed uncontrolled exploitation of natural resources, such as commercial deforestation of forest trees, Companies discharge harmful substances into the environment, causing serious land, air, and water pollution, as a result of ineffective policies to combat this scourge and control pollution.

These activities significantly affected livelihoods and hampered sustainable development. Aliyu was inspired by this harrowing experience to become an instrument of change in his community and contributes to sustainable development by engaging in grassroot climate actions.

In 2019, he was selected as one of the six cohort fellows of the Sustainable Solution Africa 30 Under 30 Fellowship program organized by WeForGood International. This fellowship provided a platform for Aliyu to develop relevant skills and mentoring needed to make meaningful impact and develop sustainable enterprise capable of solving environmental problems while creating other economic and social impact.

Aliyu was awarded a startup grant of $6,000 to set up a social enterprise and turn his ideas into action.

n 2020, Aliyu founded Ecocykle, an impact-driven organization that promotes climate and environmental justice for voiceless communities who are exposed to devastating impacts of climate change in Nigeria. In addition, this enterprise offers innovative solutions to promote a more sustainable environment. One of its innovations is the transformation of discarded plastic waste into durable paving bricks, a solution that addresses the problem of plastic pollution. The enterprise also provides sustainable solution to waste management challenges in vulnerable and low-income communities who lack effective waste management systems.

His work is helping to protect the ecosystem, create green jobs for unemployed youths, improve livelihoods, combat climate change, and promote sustainable development.

As part of effort to promote environmental awareness, build a competent generation of young people capable of taking climate action and foster behavioural change and promote environmental sustainability, Aliyu has organized several offline and online trainings, public sensitization and clean ups, community outreach and digital advocacy.

Thus, impacting directly on over 10,000 youths, evacuating over 500KG of plastic waste within the neighbouring environment and creating part time jobs for over seven youths through his waste management enterprise.

In 2021, Aliyu was lucky to be selected among the six fellows of the African Youths for Environment, a six-month fellowship programme focused on creating positive behavioural change among teenagers. This fellowship provided him with the opportunity to work with over 1000 secondary school students over a period of six months to carryout several impactful environmental awareness projects such as Eco Talk, movie screening, bootcamp and an upcycled monument project.

During this fellowship, Aliyu worked with his team and the students to gather over 1,200 PET bottles and 20 old tyres which were upcycled into a waste management facility and a public awareness signpost, thus helping to address the problem of indiscriminate waste dumping within the schools as well as promote environmental consciousness amongst young change makers.

Over the last 15 months, Aliyu has been working as a Young Digital Activist, a Pan African Climate justice project involving over 150 young activists from eight (8) African countries where he drive’s locally led actions by leveraging on digital advocacy to promote climate justice, gender equity and amplifying voices of marginalized communities affected by the impacts of Climate change.

Aliyu is a climate change activist, a social entrepreneur and a development advocate who believes that young people are key players in achieving sustainable development goals. Hence, he leverages on grassroot engagements to provide young people with the skills, information and opportunity necessary to inspire them to take climate action in their communities.

Words on marble:

“Climate change is no longer a story but a reality that is threatening humanity. We might not be able to return to global temperatures to below 1.5°C, but the actions we take today can prevent further rise of temperature and determine whether or not our unborn generations will have a place to live”