OduduAbasi James Asuquo

OduduAbasi James Asuquo is a passionate ecological justice advocate hailing from Akwa Ibom State in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Her journey towards environmental protection and climate justice began at a young age, inspired by her mother's conscious efforts to recycle plastic bags and educate their family about environmental conservation. Winning a statewide World Environment Day Essay competition at the age of 13 further fueled her commitment to environmental activism.

After earning a bachelor's degree in civil engineering, OduduAbasi sought opportunities to merge her engineering expertise with environmental conservation efforts. She volunteers with environmental NGOs such as Fight Against Desert Encroachment (FADE) Africa, African Center for Climate Actions and Rural Development Initiative (ACCARD), and serves as a board member of Green Restore Initiative, a startup dedicated to combating illegal logging in Nigeria.

Currently, OduduAbasi works as a Project Officer Oilwatch Africa at Health of Mother Earth Foundation. In this role, she develops global strategies to support indigenous communities affected by oil activities, amplifies grassroots resistance efforts, and advocates for environmental justice and human rights in oil-rich areas, particularly in the Niger Delta region.

Outside of her professional commitments, OduduAbasi is the CEO and co-founder of PaperEazi, a youth-driven ecological company focused on reducing single-use plastic bags by producing biodegradable shopping bags from recycled paper. Through PaperEazi, she organizes events and training courses on climate change and environmental impacts for local youth.

With the JWH grant, OduduAbasi plans to enhance her knowledge by enrolling in online courses on climate change and sustainable decision-making. She also aims to register her company, PAPERAZI, expand community relationships, and provide product development training for volunteers. She looks forward to learning from fellow grantees, sharing her civil engineering background, and contributing to sustainability projects. Her dream is for a future where paper bags replace single-use plastics, communities affected by harmful extraction practices receive compensation and land restoration, and clean, renewable energy sources power industrialization.