A women-led investment network, Rising Tide Africa, has committed up to $1 million to Ororo Waste Management Limited, a Lagos-based company that collects used cooking oil across Nigeria. The investment, about ₦1.4 billion, was announced in late September 2026 and signals strong confidence in Nigeria’s largely untapped waste-to-value market.
Ororo Waste received the first portion of the funding on September 16, 2026, with additional funds potentially available through December 16 of the same year. The money will be used to buy used cooking oil from collectors, cover the operating costs of collection hubs, and build the infrastructure needed to expand the business across the country.
What Ororo Waste Does and Why It Matters
Ororo Waste, founded in 2021, builds the systems needed to collect and export used cooking oil. The company is certified under the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) system, which means its processes meet strict international standards for sustainability and traceability.
Nigeria generates an estimated 840,000 metric tonnes of used cooking oil every year, but more than 95 per cent of it goes uncollected. When this oil is thrown into drains and waterways, it can cause blockages and make flooding worse. Some people also reuse it in cooking, which can expose consumers to harmful substances.
Ororo Waste is changing this by turning what many see as waste into a valuable commodity. The company collects used cooking oil from households, markets, restaurants, and other sources, and supplies it to international markets where it is used to make sustainable aviation fuel and biodiesel.
Creating Income for Market Women and Waste Pickers
One of the most important aspects of this investment is its focus on the people who do the actual collecting. Market women and waste pickers already do most of the work of gathering used cooking oil in Nigeria, but few have ever been paid fairly for it.
Yemi Keri, co-founder of Rising Tide Africa, explained the thinking behind the investment. She said the capital helps fund the infrastructure that pays these women the same day they supply the oil, for a commodity that some of the world’s largest buyers are already contracted to purchase. She described this as “gender-lens investing in practice” — capital that follows the value women are already creating and helps them grow it.
In July 2026, Ororo Waste, together with the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, Shell Foundation, and the Waste Pickers Association of Nigeria, trained about 250 market women, waste pickers, and youths on how to safely collect, handle, and store used cooking oil. The training also covered quality assurance, traceability, and how the oil is used to make sustainable aviation fuel and biodiesel.
Olaitan Dawodu, Ororo Waste’s Director of Operations, said every participant in the supply chain, including market women, waste pickers, and youths, will earn income for their roles. He said this creates an inclusive circular economy that generates employment while protecting human health and the environment.
How the Collection System Works
Ororo Waste uses technology to make sure every litre of oil is tracked from the moment it is collected to the moment it is exported. The company’s collection platform uses GPS and QR codes to monitor transactions, and collectors are paid through mobile money on the same day they supply the oil.
Ayo Banjo, co-CEO of Ororo Waste, explained why this traceability matters. Speaking to The Rio Times, he said refiners in Europe always seek to buy documented, ISCC-certified tonnes. Every litre the company exports is GPS-tracked and QR-coded from the collector’s drum to the export container. This is why Ororo Waste has built strong relationships with international buyers and has had zero quality rejections across thousands of tonnes exported.
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Plans for Nationwide Expansion
Currently, Ororo Waste operates collection hubs in three cities: Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt. With the new funding, the company plans to expand to more than 40 hubs across Nigeria over the next five years.
The company also aims to grow its formally paid collector network from about 5,000 people today to more than 200,000 by 2031. It plans to increase certified used cooking oil collection from the few thousand metric tonnes it has exported so far to more than 150,000 tonnes annually by 2031. Women are expected to make up at least half of the new collection points, with the potential to reach three-quarters.
A Major Investment in Nigeria’s Waste Sector
This investment is significant for several reasons. First, it shows that African waste management businesses can attract serious international funding. Second, it creates a model for turning environmental problems into economic opportunities. Third, it puts money directly into the hands of women and informal workers who have long been overlooked.
The demand for used cooking oil is growing because of policies like the European Union’s revised Renewable Energy Directive, which requires member states to meet higher renewable energy targets by 2030. This means there is a ready market for the oil that Ororo Waste collects.
By building the infrastructure to capture this waste stream, Ororo Waste is not just cleaning up Nigeria’s environment. It is also creating jobs, supporting women’s economic empowerment, and positioning Nigeria as a supplier to the global clean energy market. The $1 million investment from Rising Tide Africa is a strong signal about the viability of this model.
