Fela Akinse

Fela Akinse (born January 19, 1989) is a Nigerian entrepreneur and inventor.^[1]^[2] He is the founder of SALUBATA, a company that creates modular shoes from recycled plastic waste.^[3]^[4]^[5]

Life and career

Fela Akinse was born and raised Lagos State, Nigeria.^[6] He attended the University of Lagos, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Toxicology in 2013, and later completed a master’s degree in Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Management in 2016.^[7]^[8]^[9]^[10]^[11]

After working as a business analyst and environmental scientist, Akinse founded SALUBATA, a company that manufactures modular shoes from recycled plastic waste.^[12]^[13]^[14]^[15]^[16]^[17]^[18]^[19]

Akinse holds two patents, including one for a technology that converts carbon dioxide into oxygen and another for creating modular footwear from ocean-derived plastic waste.^[20]^[21]^[22]

Personal life

Akinse is married to Yewande Akinse, an entrepreneur and author. The couple has one daughter.^[23]

References

[1] ttps://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/12/recycling-waste-into-wealth-improves-economy-diversity/amp/

[2] Africa Makes Its Case for Circular Economy At the World Circular Economy Forum 2023, in Helsinki, FinlandAfrican Development Bank2023-07-08

[3] ttps://thenationonlineng.net/im-proud-of-our-youths-excelling-at-home-abroad-buhari/

[4] "TEDxYaba | TED". https://www.ted.com/tedx/events/28656.

[5] Nigeria, Guardian (2021-02-23). "Five Nigerian start-ups receive €135,000 from OCIF" (in en-US). https://guardian.ng/business-services/five-nigerian-start-ups-receive-e135000-from-ocif/.

[6] "Fela Buyi Akinse: Pioneering Sustainable Innovation in Africa – THISDAYLIVE". https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2024/09/24/fela-buyi-akinse-pioneering-sustainable-innovation-in-africa/.

[7] Akinyemi, Bioluwatife (2022-12-27). "Africa’s top 5 entrepreneurs in the waste recycling business" (in en-GB). https://tribuneonlineng.com/africas-top-5-entrepreneurs-in-the-waste-recycling-business/.

[8] ttps://thenationonlineng.net/innovation-buhari-urges-youth-to-intensify-efforts/

[9] "Meet the winners of the AU YOUTH PAVILLION BIC Africa- AeTrade Business Idea Challenge. - BIC Africa" (in en-US). 2022-11-26. https://bic-africa.eu/news/meet-the-winners-of-the-au-youth-pavillion-bic-africa-aetrade-business-idea-challenge/.

[10] "Customizable Shoes from This Startup Could Help Stamp Out Plastic Waste - IEEE Spectrum" (in en). https://spectrum.ieee.org/customizable-shoes-from-this-startup-could-help-stamp-out-plastic-waste.

[11] "From plastic to designer, Salubata creates modular shoes as a fashionable way to recycle waste in Nigeria" (in en). https://www.climate-kic.org/innovation-spotlight/africa-climaccelerator-start-up-spotlight-salubata/.

[12] sunnews (2022-07-01). "Changing the narratives around waste reuse in Nigeria" (in en). https://thesun.ng/changing-the-narratives-around-waste-reuse-in-nigeria/.

[13] Akinyemi, Bioluwatife (2022-12-29). "A look into innovative and localised waste recycling in Africa" (in en-GB). https://tribuneonlineng.com/a-look-into-innovative-and-localised-waste-recycling-in-africa/.

[14] "BlueInvest Africa 2022" (in en). https://blueinvest-africa-2022.b2match.io/page-3631.

[15] "Meet the top 25 for Next Einstein Forum's Challenge of Invention to Innovation" (in en-ZA). 2020-03-04. https://ventureburn.com/2020/03/next-einstein-forum-top-25-challenge-of-invention-to-innovation/?amp=1.

[16] "Extreme Tech Challenge Black Founded Startup Winners & Finalists" (in en-US). 2023-02-09. https://extremetechchallenge.org/news/black-founded-startup-winners-and-finalists/.

[17] Nigeria, Guardian (2024-09-24). "The imperative of environmental sustainability: Addressing Climate change through innovation" (in en-US). https://guardian.ng/news/the-imperative-of-environmental-sustainability-addressing-climate-change-through-innovation/.

[18] "Mukuru youth meet YouthAdapt Challenge winner" (in en). https://llahub.gca.org/articles/cad96d63-d282-4316-addc-7689df90977a.

[19] "DAAYTA 2021 Concludes As ARM Announces ₦12m Grant Winner" (in en-US). 2021-04-22. https://techbuild.africa/daayta-2021-concludes-arm-%E2%82%A612m-grant-winner/.

[20] "WIPO - Search International and National Patent Collections". https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=WO2024105436&_cid=P11-M3KDSO-67070-1.

[21] "WIPO - Search International and National Patent Collections". https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=WO2024105436&_cid=P11-M3KDSO-67070-1.

[22] "WIPO - Search International and National Patent Collections". https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=WO2024134255&_cid=P11-M3KDSO-67070-1.

[23] "Poet’s Talk: 5 Questions with Yewande Akinse" (in en-US). 2022-12-06. https://shamsrumi.org/poets-talk-5-questions-with-yewande-akinse/.

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