Two Nigerian-American entrepreneurs returned to the motherland to lead their own impact in the oil palm market.
Ikenna Nzewi and Uzo Ayogu founded “Releaf” in 2017, which turns palm waste into environmentally-friendly profits. The duo brought technological advancements to the agricultural sector, discovering a new way to boost the value of the palm oil process.
According to Business Insider Africa, the business owners developed a palm nut processing system called Kraken to eliminate excessive waste for smaller farmers. Now, these palm nut growers can have higher yields of production, while reducing the release of harmful chemicals into the atmosphere.
Their game-changing invention came from a long line of ideas to help Releaf find its footing
in the climate and agritech industry. They settled on the idea for waste reduction after voyaging across different states in Nigeria, connecting with local farmers to see where their impact was most needed.They discovered why Nigeria regressed from the leading global palm oil producer to relying on imports for the popular vegetable oil. Advancement stalled due to the processing system: small farmers rely on manual processing methods, which require tedious work for little return.
With nearly a quarter of produce cast aside during production, Nzewi and Agoyu realized that their focus needed to be on sharpening these processes. The Kraken is more efficient and less costly than the de-shelling machines originally on the market, making it more viable for small farmers, which make up a bulk of Nigerian’s agricultural demographic.
“It took two years of intensive R&D,” Nzewi told the news outlet. “From the outset, we wanted to build West Africa’s most advanced palm nut processing technology.”
Releaf’s environmental impact stems from its recycling of the leftover palm kernel shells. Through their climate arm of Releaf Earth, the kernels are now used for industrial biochar production.
Biochar, a stable form of carbon made by heating organic material in a low-oxygen environment, can stay in soil for centuries, reducing the amount of carbon that could harm the environment. Furthermore, this biochar enriches the soil, making it a “win-win” for both the farmers and the business.
Nzewi added, “These are technologies that remove carbon and store it in a way that it can’t return to the atmosphere for up to 1,000 years.”
Despite its list of benefits, scaling Releaf has remained a challenge due to decreased funding efforts across Africa. However, its dual-ended profit potential has warmed investors to Releaf’s operations, especially as it transforms waste into its own valuable sector
. The company recently shared a delivery of carbon removal credits to Salesforce, establishing itself with major corporations across industries.With plans to reduce up to 700,000 metric tons of CO₂e and recycle 50,000 metric tons of waste biomass by the end of the decade, Releaf has ambitious goals to prove its innovative processes work. They also plan to scale their collaborations and other partnerships, bringing African visionaries into global discussions for agricultural tech.
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