Luther Nwobodo is a serial entrepreneur with a difference. His brand name, Zgnis Analytics, depicts his love for technology, which has always been his unique selling point to date.
Despite having a thriving career in the United Kingdom, Luther’s heart remains firmly rooted in his Nigerian heritage.
Luther, a well-versed multifaceted tech professional with a passion for entrepreneurship and an accomplished executive, has over a decade of specialised experience growing and managing several businesses.
His unwavering commitment lies in empowering business operators in the circular economy with adequate data to drive sustainability.
Driven by the vision to create value and foster growth of Nigeria’s circular economy, Luther founded Zgnis Analytics, a data analytics platform designed to help companies, vendors, international donor agencies, and other stakeholders unlock and leverage waste data to drive zero-waste initiatives.
He brings a wealth of expertise to the field of environmental sustainability, further solidifying his status as a prominent figure in this domain.
“As a thought leader in data analytics and technology, I have made significant contributions in the information technology space including the environmental sustainability sector,” he says.
“I have also led numerous mentorship programs focused on waste recycling, empowering youth and unemployed individuals to engage in sustainable practices and contribute to the green economy,” he notes.
“My efforts highlight the importance of leveraging technology and data to address pressing environmental challenges,” he adds.
He was inspired to establish his business to bridge the data gap he identified while evaluating the impact of plastic waste in the country.
“Several years ago, I was part of a team evaluating the impact of plastic waste in Nigeria. One of the significant challenges we faced was lack of accurate and comprehensive waste data across locations in Nigeria,” he says.
“As a people, we struggle to meet international reporting obligations on environmental and sustainability goals, such as the SDGs, due to data deficiencies,” the serial entrepreneur explains.
According to him, inconsistent data discourages potential investors in waste management and sustainability projects.
He noted that without adequate data, the potential economic benefits of waste recycling and upcycling remain untapped. “The absence of data-driven campaigns reduces public awareness and engagement in waste management initiatives.”
“Zgnis Analytics was a creative innovation, birthed and nurtured to address the challenges posed by lack of adequate data in the environmental sustainability space.”
The business has grown steadily since starting in 2023 and has had investors invested in it. “Funding was not so much of a challenge because of the solution my platform has come to resolve,” he says while responding to questions on how the business raised its startup capital.
“Thankfully, our investors understood the project from the onset and funds were provided,” he adds.
Zgnis Analytics app which has over 100 users is providing a niche solution to the country’s recycling industry.
“We have several applications in the sustainability space delivering different results but ours is just dedicated to data warehousing and analytics with massive storage facilities to keep any waste data in real-time across locations in Nigeria.”
On the business’s plans, he says the business plans to engage and collaborate with players across the recycling value chains.
Speaking on the business challenges, he says onboarding users who are genuinely willing to use the app without thinking that the government wants to use it for tax purposes is the hurdle confronting the business.
He urges the government at all levels to encourage the usage of the Zgnis Analytics App across communities and households to help them reduce their emissions and carbon footprint while capturing value from the process.
In evaluating Nigeria’s tech industry, he says Nigeria is home to a thriving start-up ecosystem, particularly in Lagos, adding that several of the companies operating in the landscape have gained international recognition.
“Nigeria leads Africa’s fintech sector, driving financial inclusion through solutions like mobile money, digital lending, and payment platforms.”
“Nigeria consistently attracts the highest volume of venture capital in Africa.” However, he says these significant growths in the tech industry are not without challenges that need urgent attention.
On his advice to other entrepreneurs, he says, “Be focused, start small and grow your business organically.”
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