A brighter future, built locally

Hey,

Welcome to Green Jobs Rising!

Who is creating green jobs across the continent?

Valentine Nnamani, an energy professional building affordable clean lighting solutions and creating jobs in underserved communities.

Valentine’s journey started early. 

At just 15, he launched his first business, Cool Touch, producing and selling liquid soap, aftershave, and perfume after school. 

He went on to register it as a legal brand in Nigeria, while also teaching himself graphic design to support his marketing.

Today, his focus has shifted to clean energy.

His startup, OneGrid Energies, was inspired by his childhood experience using kerosene lamps with his grandfather. 

For many families, kerosene is still the only affordable lighting option, despite the long-term health risks.

This pushed Valentine to start building alternatives.

His first prototype, powered by disposable batteries, proved too expensive to sustain. 

So, he went back to the drawing board.

The result is a low-cost rechargeable lantern, produced at about 70 cents using recyclable materials like plastic bottles, bags, and used batteries sourced from local communities.

Since launching, OneGrid Energies has created jobs for three full-time team members, while opening up new income opportunities at the community level.

Through a waste-to-energy model, community members, especially women and young people, can exchange collected plastic waste for lanterns at solar charging stations. 

These stations are installed by rural youth and managed by women, creating both employment and local ownership.

Valentine also leads SHELIGHTS, a school-based initiative focused on changing attitudes toward plastic waste while promoting the empowerment of women and girls across Sub-Saharan Africa.

This is what green job creation can look like: local, practical, and built around real community needs.

If you know someone with a powerful story, or you’d love us to share yours, we’d be honored to hear from you. Feel free to reach out to us on our LinkedIn.