A Lagos-based Nigerian start-up waste management “Wecyclers” has received the King Baudouin Foundation African Development €200,000 Prize for 2018/2019.

The King Baudouin African Development Prize aims to acknowledge the works of African individuals or organizations which have made an exemplary contribution to development in Africa.

The announcement was made in the offices of Wecyclers on the occasion of the first day of the Silicon Lagoon Mission. The award ceremony will be held in Brussels, Belgium on June 12, 2019 in the presence of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde at the Royal Palace.

The cash Prize will allow WeCyclers to expand and promote their business and increase their impact nationally and internationally.

The independent Selection committee selected the enterprise out of 244 applications for its innovative approach to engaging the community, turning recycling into an economic driver for communities and turning citizens into agents of change.

Wecyclers utilize low and high technology solutions made up of SMS technology and a mobile application, including low-cost vehicles, which collect recyclable waste directly from households to sell to recycling plants before they are made into new products.

According to a statement issued by the King Baudouin Foundation, The Nigerian waste startup was selected for its economic impact. By rewarding citizens with “points”, it allows low-income communities to capture value from their waste, and redeem points for household goods, food items or cash aiding daily life.

The company already benefits from the engagement of over seventeen (17) thousand subscribers in seven (7) localities in Lagos. It registers around two hundred (200) new members each month. The Nigerian start-up has also created two hundred (200) jobs in seven (7) years, with a focus on women, who currently account for 60% of their workforce.

The Prize will also give Wecyclers access to a wide network of stakeholders in Europe and the US, who may support them as they grow. With current growth projections, Wecyclers aim to collect 5,000 tons of recyclables by 2020 and could be serving 500,000 households by 2023.

Wecyclers aims at giving back to the community and expanding their business to other neighborhoods in the country.

By 2100, Africa will hold 5 out of the 10 biggest cities in the world, and Lagos could be the biggest city in the world. Today, Lagos residents generate 15,000 tons of waste per day, of which only 40% is collected by the civil government. Wecyclers’ model is designed to help fill this gap and reduce solid waste in the streets of Lagos, improving both the environment and the well-being of populations.