The devastating effects of climate change have prompted the need to find innovative solutions in reducing green gas emission from the ecosystem.
This has spurred a lot of conversation about the need to support a generation of global ecopreneurs who are successfully linking sustainable businesses to environmental consciousness for societal wellbeing.
Among these eco-warriors building sustainable businesses and helping to save the planet at the same time is 25years old Nigeria’s Abideen Opeyemi, founder of Opab Gas Station.
Abideen is a tri-sector business leader with investment in oil and gas, consulting, catering and social enterprise with over seven years’ experience.
Abideen through his Opab Gas business is providing digitally scaled gas to the door steps of Nigerians while assisting them maintain safety, trust and ease of refilling.
Abideen’s passion to solve environmental problems within his community and his contribution to the realisation of the United Nations sustainable development goals inspired the establishment of Opab Gas in 2017.
The chemist-turned-entrepreneur says he started the business with N200,000, an amount he got through personal savings and from family and friends.
Since starting, the business has scaled from a single gas station to six within two years of operation.
The business currently has 35 full and part time employees. “We have 35 employees cutting across main, remote, part-time and student ambassadors,” he says.
Speaking on the business expansion plans, Abideen says Opab Gas plans to expand its customer base by providing its smart metering system which monitors gas levels in cylinders and predict when the gas is going to run out across the country.
In evaluating the gas sector in the country, the young entrepreneur says the sector has a huge investment opportunity and potential to significantly reduce green gas emission from the ecosystem.
He urges the Federal Government to be at the forefront in canvassing for the transition to cleaner energy especially in rural communities.
“The government still needs to do a whole lot on to encourage people to swift to cleaner energy,” he says.
“Gas presents an opportunity to move away from the conventional, risky and environmentally unfriendly way of cooking with firewood,” Abideen explains.
“Investors are showing even more interest in gas production in Nigeria because of its high economic potential and higher efficiency when compared with other fuels,” he adds.
On major hurdles confronting the business, the University of Ilorin graduate says that double taxation has remained major challenge confronting the business.
“The problem of double taxation is a major challenge. We are paying to both the Federal Agency and State Agency,” he says.
“The government can do well to ensure just a single agency collect tax,” Abideen suggests.
He adds that convincing people to adopt cleaner form of energy in remote communities where the business was situated was also a major challenge.
He notes that with the business GoGreen campaign strategy a lot of people in those communities are not transitioning into the use of clean energy.
Also, the inability of the business to initially find trustworthy employees’ is another challenge that impacted the Opab Gas.
“A whole lot of young Nigerians are not trustworthy. They misuse opportunities and manage funds,” he says.
Abideen is a recipient of several international grants and awards such as the One Young World Ambassador, a global leader with Restless Development UK and an alumnus of the Africa Presidential Leadership Programme.
He was recently listed among 100 most influential young Africans in 2018 by Africa Youth Awards. He is also a member of the 10 steering committee working with CIVICUS and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
On his advice to other entrepreneurs, Abideen says “Business is profitable but not for the faint hearted and ensure you conduct a market survey before delving into it.”
