Achenyo Idachaba
Achenyo Idachaba | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1968 |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Known for | Founder, MitiMeth |
Achenyo Idachaba (born c. 1968) is an American-born entrepreneur based in Nigeria.
Early life
Idachaba was born in America to Nigerian parents. She spent her early years in America before moving back to Nigeria with them.[1] She worked as a computer scientist and business analyst before moving to Ibadan, Nigeria, in 2009 to set up an environmental consultancy.[2][3]
Career
She realised that water hyacinth (Pontederia crassipes), which was considered an invasive weed, could be harvested, as takes place in Asia. In collaboration with local craftspeople she designed products that could be woven from dried specimens. In 2011, she founded the company Mitimeth.[4] She developed products such as a waste basket and a table tidy[5] made from plants known as invasive.[6] By 2013 she had won a grant from the government and employed seven staff. The weeds are harvested, dried and then made into rope which can then be made into final products.[4]
In 2014 Idachaba won the Cartier Women's Initiative regional award for sub-Saharan Africa.[7]
References
- ↑ "Achenyo Idachaba - Turning Water Weeds to Creative Wonders" Archived 2017-12-14 at the Wayback Machine, CP_Africa.com, Retrieved 29 February 2016.
- ↑ Achenyo Idachaba Archived 2020-11-27 at the Wayback Machine, Cartier Women's Initiative, Retrieved 29 February 2016.
- ↑ "How I turned a deadly plant into a thriving business", Achenyo Idachaba, TED, May 2015.
- 1 2 Said-Moorhouse, Lauren; Carla, Wanyika; Obondo, Florence (2015-01-02). "Woven wonders from water weeds and waste". CNN. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
- ↑ 2014 Finalists Archived 2016-03-06 at the Wayback Machine, ElleDecoration. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
- ↑ "Non-native Invasive Freshwater Plants", WA.gov. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
- ↑ "Fellow Portrait | Achenyo Idachaba | MitiMeth". Cartier Women's In. Retrieved 2026-06-23.