Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola

Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola is a Nigerian entrepreneur and social innovator known for her work in environmental sustainability and community empowerment. Adebiyi-Abiola earned a bachelor's degree in computer science from Fisk University and a master's in computer science from Vanderbilt University, followed by an MBA from the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. While at MIT, she was a Legatum Fellow at the Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship and served as vice president of the MIT Sloan Africa Business Club. Before pursuing her MBA, Adebiyi-Abiola worked at IBM for five years as a software engineer, where she published a patent.

The concept for Wecyclers emerged during her studies at MIT, where she focused on waste management and became interested in addressing Nigeria's waste management challenges. After completing her MBA, Adebiyi-Abiola returned to Nigeria to co-found Wecyclers, a for-profit social enterprise focused on recycling and waste management. As CEO and co-founder, she led Wecyclers in developing technology-driven solutions for household-level recyclable waste collection, utilizing bicycle-powered vehicles called wecycles. The company operates a rewards-for-recycling model, incentivizing residents in low-income communities to recycle by earning points redeemable for food, cleaning products, or cellphone minutes.

Wecyclers established a franchise model, expanding to 26 franchises across Nigeria and recycling an average of 28 tons of waste per week. The company supplies recycled materials to manufacturers in Nigeria and internationally, who use them to produce items such as tissue paper, bedding material stuffing, plastic furniture, aluminum sheeting, and nylon bags. Wecyclers' rewards program has been supported through partnerships with major brands including Coca-Cola and GlaxoSmithKline. Through a partnership with Unilever, Wecyclers accessed $2 million to expand its collection network.

Adebiyi-Abiola's work in recycling and sustainable development has received recognition through grants from MIT and the Cartier Women's Initiative Award for sub-Saharan Africa. Wecyclers has received several honors, including the King Baudouin Foundation's Africa Development Prize, the International Grand Prize at the Smart Cities Innovation Awards presented by Le Monde, and the Sustainia Award for enabling low-income communities to benefit economically from recycling. Adebiyi-Abiola has been recognized as one of the Quartz Africa Innovators, listed among the Ventures Africa 42 African Innovators to Watch, and named one of 20 African Women with Powerful and Inspiring Voices by Applause Africa.

Adebiyi-Abiola is an active public speaker, addressing audiences at events such as Thinking School Africa, the Founders Conference, the Youth Entrepreneurship Summit and Expo Nigeria, and the Women in Business Conference. She later served as managing director of the Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency and as director general of the Lagos State Records and Archives Bureau. Adebiyi-Abiola's career spans software engineering, entrepreneurship, recycling innovation, and public service, reflecting her expertise in technology, waste management, and sustainable urban development.