Solomon Ekundayo (he/him)

How are you using education to build more sustainable and equitable communities? Tell us about your EE work and impact. 

Through Project Conserve River, I build more sustainable and equitable communities by equipping young people with the knowledge to protect their environment, engaging both students and teachers in school-based conservation education.

I organize programs like Children and Teens for the Environment, introducing early-stage environmental knowledge through fun, creative activities such as upcycling and repurposing waste into art to shift behaviors toward waste reduction from a young age.

To expand access to environmental resources, my team and I published four eco-books, storybooks, toolkits, and learning modules, integrating Indigenous languages, with over 1,000 copies distributed to students and school libraries, giving young changemakers the guides to begin their own journeys.

Beyond teaching, I established a recycling initiative for students and communities, installing bins in schools where students exchange plastic bottles for school supplies, tuition fees, and sanitary pads, supporting their learning while reducing absenteeism. I also facilitate a virtual environmental academy, reaching over 1,800 participants across 23 countries, helping them build sustainable habits that reduce the negative impact of human activity on the environment.
 

Tell us about your journey to where you are today. What inspired you? What has your path been like? 

The journey into conservation education began with a river. Growing up in Nigeria, I watched the Ogun River deteriorate under several environmental issues—notably from plastic waste, which some days outweighed fish—and the communities depending on it had no framework to understand why. That disconnect became my entry point, and I saw it repeating across other rivers in Nigeria and Africa.

The turning point was realizing the deeper problem was a lack of environmental literacy and local ownership. I asked what would happen to the river in five years if no one acted, and that question became my life's mission.

I founded Project Conserve River, tackling freshwater conservation through school-based training in Indigenous language, four published eco-books distributed to school libraries, and a plastic-for-benefits exchange that has kept over 2,000kg of plastic from the river while cutting school absenteeism, especially among girls. I've also trained hundreds of youth across West Africa on waste management policy, and I embed schools into curriculum design so the work outlasts me.

Navigating a conservation space that often rewards visibility over substance, I've stayed anchored to depth and community ownership, the principle that continues to shape my growth as an environmental leader.
 

How can people learn more about or support your work? 

People can learn more about my work and follow updates through my social media: Instagram (@thesoloofekundayo) and LinkedIn (Ekundayo Solomon).

To support the work, I'd encourage people to engage with my organization, Project Conserve River, where we implement environmental projects through education, eco-publication, capacity building, and innovative solutions like drone- and AI-based conservation mapping. There are several meaningful ways to get involved: technical assistance to strengthen our tools and methods, financial support to help us scale existing programs, mentorship to sharpen our strategy and leadership, media visibility to amplify the work and reach more communities, and adoption of our eco-books by schools and organizations for educational use.

Every form of support, whether time, expertise, funding, or simply sharing our story, helps us reach more schools, train more young changemakers, and move closer to restoring freshwater ecosystems and the communities that depend on it.
 

A Little More About Me

What (or who) keeps you hopeful for the future?
I see the ripple effects of my work and that of other young changemakers, especially in educating the next generation. Watching them recognize new possibilities and take action gives me hope that the future will be better, as more people become informed and empowered to act.

If you could be any animal or plant, what would you be and why?
I'd be a cactus plant; tough-looking with its spikes, yet succulent and easy on the eyes, attractive enough to be spotlighted, but resilient and genuinely useful. I love that it defies the idea of judging a book by its cover—that's exactly how I see the cactus, and how I try to live.

What advice would you give to the next generation of leaders?
Never doubt your ability to create positive change. The most important trait of a leader is being considerate and thoughtful. You have to know how to follow before you can lead. And don't be afraid to feel "cringe" starting out; not everyone can do what you're doing.