Nigerian Startup Wins $200,000 Prize for Clean Energy Innovation in Armenia

A Nigerian startup focused on climate technology and agriculture, D-Olivette Labs, has won one of four awards at the 2025 Prince Talal International Prize for Human Development. The company received $200,000 for its innovation in clean energy.

D-Olivette Labs creates biodigesters powered by artificial intelligence and sensors. They were honored at an award event by the Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND) in Yerevan, Armenia, on Wednesday.

The company won in the third category for its project called Bio-360. This project turns farm and food waste into clean cooking gas, electricity, and organic fertilizer.

The 2025 prize focuses on Affordable and Clean Energy, which is part of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7).

AGFUND was founded in Riyadh in 1980 by Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz, with support from leaders in the Gulf. The prize started in 1999 to recognize and promote successful human development initiatives, especially those that help women and children.

The prize gives out $1 million each year across four categories. This includes $400,000 for United Nations agencies and international NGOs, $300,000 for national NGOs, $200,000 for government bodies and social businesses, and $100,000 for individuals.

Since it started in 1999, 95 projects have won the prize, and 2,299 projects have been nominated.

From 2017, each prize cycle has focused on a specific Sustainable Development Goal. The 2026 prize will focus on Good Health and Well-being (SDG 3), and applications are currently open.

During the award ceremony at the Seven Heavens Hotel in Yerevan, four organizations and innovators were recognized for their work in sustainable development.

UNICEF in Myanmar won the first prize, taking home $400,000 for its climate-resilient water supply project. This project provides solar-powered pumps and piped water to villages in Myanmar’s Dry Zone, managed by trained community water committees.

NAPAD, which operates in Kenya and Somalia, won second place and received $300,000 for its food security and community conflict management project for displaced families and their host communities.

D-Olivette Labs won $200,000 in the third category for its Bio-360 project, while an Indian organization called Oorja won the fourth category, receiving $100,000.

Oorja’s project offers pay-per-use solar irrigation and climate-smart farming advice, helping smallholder farmers to access clean water without needing to buy expensive irrigation pumps.

After the awards were announced, the winners spoke to the audience.

Tunde Adeyemi, co-founder and CEO of D-Olivette Labs, shared that the inspiration for their work came from the death of his mother. She suffered from respiratory issues, which he believes were linked to smoke from firewood used for cooking.

“To many of us, a $100 clean cookstove is affordable, but to the 2.3 billion people who still cook with firewood and charcoal, it is completely out of reach,” he said.

Mr. Adeyemi pointed out that many families have to make hard choices, like cutting down trees and burning biomass for cooking. This exposes them to smoke that harms their health.

“After my mum’s funeral, I realized that grief alone can’t change anything. The greatest tribute I could give her is to make sure another child does not lose their mother in the same way. That became my life decision. It is the reason for our work,” he said.

He explained that D-Olivette Labs turns organic waste into clean cooking fuel, renewable energy, and organic fertilizer. This gives communities a better option than traditional fuels.

“We build technology, but technology is not our purpose. Our purpose is dignity, because development is not measured by the brilliance of our inventions; it is measured by whether a mother breathes clean air, whether a child carries schoolbooks instead of firewood, and whether families can look towards tomorrow with hope instead of fear,” he said.

Mr. Adeyemi thanked AGFUND and the prize committee for recognizing their work and expressed hope that the award would help them reach more people and communities facing energy poverty.

Another Nigerian, Seyyid Abdulai, a member of the AGFUND review committee and former director-general of the OPEC Fund for International Development, was also honored at the event.

In his speech, Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, chairman of AGFUND, said Gulf countries have faced serious attacks since 2026 but remain committed to development and global cooperation.

“Today, they continue to face these challenges. Yet, despite these circumstances, the Gulf remains committed to building, developing, and investing in its people while extending support to communities across the world,” he said.

He mentioned that Gulf countries have spent years building institutions, creating opportunities, and contributing to development outside their borders.

“Our commitment to humanity does not end at our borders, nor does it stop when our own security is challenged,” he said. He added that they are determined to create a better future for their people while helping others.

“Development cannot wait for the world to become peaceful. Through cooperation and investment in people, we can create the conditions for lasting peace. Our circumstances may change, but our responsibilities do not,” the prince said.

He congratulated the winners, saying their achievements show what can be done when knowledge, determination, and support come together.

“The challenges facing our world require more than individual efforts. We have the knowledge, institutions, and resources. Our challenge is to bring them together and turn our shared ambitions into results that improve people’s lives,” he said.

The prince added that this approach will continue to guide AGFUND’s development partnerships.

Looking ahead, he announced that the 2026 prize cycle will focus on SDG 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for people of all ages.

“Good health is essential to education, economic participation, and the stability of communities. We therefore invite innovators and development organizations worldwide to present solutions that improve health and well-being for people of all ages,” he said.