Sterling One Tackles Plastic Waste with National Beach program

Samuel Mobolaji

Plastic pollution continues to threaten Nigeria’s coastal ecosystems, communities, and livelihoods, but the Sterling One Foundation is spearheading impactful action to confront this growing crisis through grassroots beach cleanups, strategic partnerships, and robust policy advocacy.

Since 2021, the Foundation’s Beach Adoption Programme has taken stewardship of more than five key beaches nationwide—including Elegushi, Alpha, Eleko, Lafiaji, Iwerekun, and Okun Ajah—leading large-scale cleanups that have removed over 9,000 kilograms of waste.

Impressively, more than 4,800 kilograms of this waste was recyclable material, underscoring the Foundation’s commitment to sustainable waste management and environmental restoration.

“Our initiatives go beyond symbolic gestures,” said Olapeju Ibekwe, CEO of Sterling One Foundation. “Each cleanup is a strategic effort to strengthen coastal resilience, safeguard vulnerable populations, and align environmental sustainability with economic opportunity. We are not only restoring dignity to our environment but also fostering trust in the institutions responsible for its protection.”

The Foundation is set to amplify its impact on June 13 by participating in WEDex 2025, a World Environment Day event hosted by GreenHub Africa in partnership with the United Nations, at the UN House in Abuja. Sterling One will take centre stage during the “Financing Youth Initiatives for Green Entrepreneurship” session, highlighting the importance of mobilising capital for community-driven solutions to plastic waste.

Further reinforcing its commitment, the Foundation will engage with stakeholders at the Africa Social Impact Summit in Lagos on July 10 and 11. This summit, co-convened by the United Nations, will focus on actionable strategies for climate resilience and policy innovation, under the theme “Scaling Action: Bold Solutions for Climate Resilience and Policy Innovation.”

“Plastic pollution is not only an environmental challenge but a development issue brimming with untapped opportunities,” Ibekwe emphasised.

“Failure to address this urgently and systemically will continue to undermine public health, livelihoods, and climate targets. Conversely, with the right partnerships and investments, plastic waste management can become a powerful engine for job creation and innovation, particularly empowering young people across Africa.”

Sterling One Foundation’s approach combines environmental restoration with social impact, targeting poverty reduction through initiatives spanning health, education, climate action, and food security. Gender equality and women’s empowerment remain cross-cutting priorities across all programmes.

For more information about Sterling One Foundation’s environmental efforts, visit onefoundation.ng. To register for the Africa Social Impact Summit, visit theimpactsummit.org.