Youth Innovators Use Solar Tech to Combat Environmental Issues

Stanley Anigbogu, the 2025 Commonwealth young person of the year, has developed a community energy hub in Abuja by converting 600 kilogrammes of discarded plastic bottles. His initiative, part of the Lighthouse for Peace project, serves internally displaced persons and includes solar streetlights and charging services for over 250 devices weekly.

Anigbogu aims to ensure that darkness does not limit children's ambitions. In Uganda, Shifra Ainomugisha, the 2026 Commonwealth young person of the year, co-founded Solafam Uganda Limited to combat post-harvest losses for smallholder farmers.

Her enterprise employs solar-powered cold storage and irrigation systems, alongside LYN AI, a WhatsApp-based agricultural adviser. Ainomugisha plans to expand her operations into West and Southern Africa.

Both innovators exemplify how youth-led initiatives can enhance environmental sustainability, food security, and economic opportunities, with support from the Commonwealth.