Nigerian company wins $200,000 AGFUND Development Prize in Armenia

Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, chairman of AGFUND and Team and Awardees during the award gala in Armenia

A Nigerian climate technology and agritech startup, D-Olivette Labs, has emerged as one of four winners of the 2025 Prince Talal International Prize for Human Development, receiving $200,000 for its clean-energy innovation.

The company, which develops artificial intelligence- and sensor-powered biodigesters, was recognised at an award ceremony organised by the Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND) in Yerevan, Armenia, on Wednesday.

D-Olivette Labs won the third category of the prize for its project, Bio-360, which converts farm and food waste into clean cooking gas, electricity and organic fertiliser.

The 2025 edition of the prize focuses on Affordable and Clean Energy, Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7).

Founded in Riyadh in 1980 by Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz, with support from Gulf leaders, AGFUND established the prize in 1999 to identify, recognise, and promote successful human development initiatives, particularly those benefiting women and children.

The prize awards $1 million annually across four categories: $400,000 for United Nations agencies and international non-governmental organisations, $300,000 for national NGOs, $200,000 for government bodies and social businesses, and $100,000 for individuals.

According to the organisers, 95 projects have won the prize, while 2,299 projects have been nominated since its establishment in 1999.

Since 2017, each prize cycle has focused on a specific Sustainable Development Goal. The 2026 edition will focus on Good Health and Well-being (SDG 3), with applications currently open, the organisers said.

At the ceremony held at the Seven Heavens Hotel in Yerevan, four organisations and innovators were recognised for their contributions to sustainable development.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Myanmar won the first category, receiving $400,000 for its climate-resilient, community-led water supply project. The initiative provides solar-powered pumps and piped water to villages in Myanmar’s Dry Zone, managed by trained community water committees.

NAPAD, operating in Kenya and Somalia, won second place and received $300,000 for its food security and community-based conflict management project for displaced agro-pastoral families and their host communities.

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

Oorja’s project provides pay-per-use solar irrigation and climate-smart agricultural advice, enabling smallholder farmers to access clean water for their crops without having to purchase irrigation pumps.

The award recipients were given the opportunity to address the audience following the announcement of their victories.

Speaking at the ceremony, Tunde Adeyemi, co-founder and chief executive officer of D-Olivette Labs, said the inspiration behind the company’s work stemmed from the death of his mother, who suffered respiratory failure that he believes may have been linked to exposure 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 said millions of families were forced to make difficult choices, including cutting down trees and burning biomass for cooking, exposing themselves to smoke that gradually damages their health.

“After my mum’s funeral, I realised 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 the company transforms organic waste into clean cooking fuel, renewable energy and organic fertiliser, offering communities an alternative to 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 the recognition, expressing hope that the award would support the company’s efforts to help more people and communities overcome energy poverty.

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

In his remarks, Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, chairman of AGFUND, said Gulf countries had faced serious attacks on their territory since the beginning of 2026 but remained committed to development and international 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 noted that Gulf countries had spent decades building institutions, expanding opportunities and contributing to development beyond their borders.

“Our commitment to humanity does not end at our borders, nor does it stop when our own security is challenged,” he said, adding that the countries remained determined to build a better future for their citizens while supporting others in their pursuit of dignity and opportunity.

“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.

Congratulating the winners, he said their achievements demonstrated what could be accomplished when knowledge, determination and appropriate support were combined.

“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.

He added that the approach would continue to guide AGFUND’s development partnerships.

Looking ahead to the next edition, the prince announced that the 2026 prize cycle would focus on SDG 3, which seeks 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 organisations worldwide to present solutions that improve health and well-being for people of all ages,” he said.