Funmi Ogundare
A Nigerian and a Ugandan youth innovators are deploying solar technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to address environmental and economic challenges, including energy poverty, food waste and agricultural losses, while improving livelihoods in their communities.
Stanley Anigbogu, the 2025 Commonwealth young person of the year, has converted 600 kilogrammes of discarded plastic bottles into a community energy hub serving internally displaced persons in Abuja, while Shifra Ainomugisha, the 2026 award recipient, is using solar-powered cold storage, irrigation and AI to help small holder farmers in Uganda reduce post-harvest losses.
Their initiatives demonstrate how youth-led innovations can support environmental sustainability, strengthen food security and create economic opportunities, with the Commonwealth providing platforms to connect young innovators with partners, investors and policymakers.
Anigbogu, who founded LightEd in 2020, developed the Lighthouse for Peace project to address energy challenges at the Durumi camp for internally displaced persons in Abuja, drawing on his childhood experience of unreliable electricity.
The project transformed about 30,000 discarded plastic bottles into useful infrastructure, including a community energy hub, 30 solar streetlights and 20 floodlights.
The facility also provides charging services for more than 250 devices weekly, enabling children to study after sunset, improving safety within the community and providing young volunteers with opportunities to acquire green skills.
“I want to ensure that darkness never limits another child’s ambition,” Anigbogu said.
His initiative combines plastic waste recycling with renewable energy to address environmental concerns and the everyday challenges faced by displaced families.
Similarly, Ainomugisha’s agricultural intervention emerged from her experience growing up on her family’s tomato farm in western Uganda, where significant quantities of produce were lost before reaching the market.
Concerned about the impact of post-harvest losses on her family’s income and ability to support her education, she co-founded Solafam Uganda Limited, a woman-led social enterprise that provides technology-driven solutions to smallholder farmers.
The enterprise deploys solar-powered cold storage facilities to preserve fresh produce, while solar irrigation systems help farmers maintain production during dry periods without relying on expensive diesel-powered equipment.
It also developed LYN AI, a WhatsApp-based agricultural adviser that provides farmers with guidance on planting, pest management, irrigation, harvesting and market decisions.
Through the combination of renewable energy and AI, the initiative seeks to reduce food waste, improve agricultural productivity and strengthen farmers’ incomes.
Ainomugisha plans to expand Solafam’s operations into West and Southern Africa, adapting its technology to the needs of different farming communities.
The Commonwealth youth awards, an initiative of the Commonwealth youth programme, provides a platform for young innovators to develop and scale their projects through seed funding, visibility and access to an international network of policymakers, investors, partners and youth organisations.
The recognition has also enabled Ainomugisha to bring attention to the challenges faced by smallholder farmers and the potential of youth-led innovation to address them.
Meanwhile, Anigbogu continues to pursue other technology-driven initiatives alongside his work with LightEd.
He founded Artechubs Nigeria to address educational challenges through technology and Re-build Inc., a hardware research, development and engineering studio focused on helping to bridge Africa’s infrastructure gap.
He is also a member of the 23-person international taskforce shaping the 2026 Commonwealth youth forum, scheduled to hold from November 2 to 4 in Antigua and Barbuda alongside the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
Themed, ‘Investing in Youth Agency: Co-Creating Pathways Towards Shared Prosperity’, the forum is expected to bring together more than 300 youth delegates from five Commonwealth regions.
Anigbogu and Ainomugisha will share their experiences of translating personal and community challenges into practical solutions using solar technology and AI.
Their recommendations will be presented to Commonwealth leaders, with the aim of ensuring that young people’s perspectives inform discussions on resilience-building and shared prosperity.
While Anigbogu is demonstrating how discarded plastic can be converted into renewable-energy infrastructure for vulnerable communities, Ainomugisha is showing how technology can help farmers preserve their harvests and improve their livelihoods.