Climate Change: Doyinsola Ogunye

"I started this work because I wanted to see some change. I’ve lived in Lagos all my life and Lagos is surrounded by water. Back then, the waters weren’t as polluted as they are now. I started talking to a few people in my neighbourhood and we started organising environmental clean-up activities with children. I noticed that the kids were having fun while giving something back to the community. This was in 2009. In 2015, I moved closer to the shorelines and I saw how bad the situation there was. So I decided to get more people involved, including the state government, Now, 11 years later, we continue to do the work, telling people that they can do something about the environment."

Doyinsola Ogunye is the founder of Mental and Environmental Development Initiative for Children (MEDIC), a non-profit organisation focused on inculcating environmental and social values for the overall development of the Nigerian child. Having obtained her first degree in Law at the University of Lagos, she has been able to carve a niche for herself as an advocate of sustainability. Doyinsola was one of the selected Goalkeepers by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Doyinsola is a fellow of the Royal African Young Leadership Forum led by the Ooni of Ife aimed at celebrating young Africans excelling in their various sectors. She has been able to prove her entrepreneurial wherewithal through the establishment of Shoreline Euphoria Limited, a company floating the business of hospitality and tourism, events management and rentals, eco-safety and environmental management.