My name is Ikenna Ubah, a social entrepreneur and certified Chemical Engineer. I am the founder of Ubabio Biomass Energy Solutions (UBES), which provides environmentally friendly, clean bioenergy solutions through recycling of agricultural wastes such as banana peels, coconut shells and sawdust into renewable biomass energy.

My startup story started at Accelerate Labs because before then, I only had an idea of the business and have done much research but I didn’t just know how or where to start. Being one of the lucky few who was selected for Accelerate Labs program for South East Nigeria was a very motivating move for me into my entrepreneurial journey. Accelerate Labs offered me skillful learnings and rudiments of starting and running my business.

The program helped me define effective planning, teamwork, and management processes. In other words, it helps me evolve a viable company culture right from the start. This program helped to improve and streamline my product’s design, notably in the areas of user experience and customer’s satisfaction. Let me also emphatically say that Accelerate Labs helped me understand how to establish effective feedback to improve my business plan, product positioning, and marketing strategy. The business skills I learned and the network I created through this program cannot be over-emphasized. It was an eye-opener for me into the business world.

After the program, I immediately put all I’ve learned into practice by starting my company and the journey so far has been fascinatingly awesome. Yes! It’s either we win or we win. Yes or Yes!!!

The elite group of facilitators in the program are all erudite in various business fields which made the program an enriching learning experience and fun. The practical section of the program is what I enjoyed most because it depicted the importance of teamwork collaboration in businesses. The different case studies we analyzed (especially Okenwa & Sons Ltd) were very insightful and engaging. It allowed us to brainstorm and discuss key business matters, bring to the table rich experience and a different, “outside” point of view.

This turned out to be quite useful in understanding systematic business strategies. I really want to appreciate Barristers Ifedi for his passion and undying efforts in coordinating this program for young startups like me. It is through this program that Ubabio Biomass Energy Solutions which was an idea is now a profitable business that offers affordable and sustainable energy solutions to the masses. I am also one of the 50 success businesses selected for Diamond BET 7. And I believe the impact of this eco-fuel energy will revolutionalize the energy sector in Nigeria and Africa at large. Watch out for our success, the story has not yet begun…..

It’s either we succeed or we succeed!! Failure is not an option. (WE RECYCLE WASTES TO FUEL AFRICA, WE TURN WASTE TO WEALTH, AND TRASH TO CASH). Yes or Yes!!!

However, the area Accelerate lab needs to improve on one to one mentoring of the startup on the tactical or strategic aspects of their challenging roles and linking us up to potential investors. All in all, the program was a bomb that transformed my ideas into action that yielded successful business.

Thank you Accelerate Lab, thank you The Future Project, and thank you all the amiable facilitators and my fellow young entrepreneurs who are determined to offer sustainable solutions to societal challenges.