# Bilikiss Adebiyi

Bilikiss Adebiyi or Bilikiss Adebiyi Abiola is a Nigerian CEO of the Lagos-based recycling company, Wecyclers. She believes: "one man's waste is another man's treasure." She and her company have gathered many awards and prizes including the King Baudouin International Development Prize in 2018/19.

## Quotes

* I really believe this is the best time to be an African start-up. This is Africa's time and we as Africans need to seize this opportunity to contribute our quotas to our respective countries.
** Bilikiss Adebiyi speaking on how this is the best time for African start-ups.
* To improve innovation in Africa, we need to invest more in education. You cannot innovate when you do not have a good education.
** Bilikiss Adebiyi speaking on how this is the best time for African start-ups.
* At the beginning of a business when you're just starting, you have to be very hands-on to get the business to run. But there's going to be a stick because you have to understand every aspect of your business inside and out. But there's going to be a stage where you have to step back and be more strategic...
** Bilikiss Adebiyi speaking on Business.
* Not many people know what recycling is. They don't appreciate it. So dealing with that is very important.
** Bilikiss Adebiyi speaking on:Recycling in Nigeria.
* It's about how you present. How do you ensure that people understand the story, understand what you're doing, and they are buying into it? So it's actually a science.
** Bilikiss Adebiyi speaking on Pitching.
* Why is it that you go to other countries, Nigerians that are educated, do very well. It's not a fluke. It's just that we're not really utilizing our resources properly.
** Bilikiss Adebiyi speaking on: Nigerian's in Business.
* Traveling to other countries has just shown me that Nigeria is a fantastic country. I think one of our issues in Nigeria is that we don't have very good marketing.
** Bilikiss Adebiyi speaking on Marketing in Nigeria.
* And as we become more affluent, people become richer, they begin to consume more and also look at things that make their lives easy. They consume things that are more packaged. And when you consume things that are packaged, you also create waste because you deal with packaging.
** Bilikiss Adebiyi speaking on Recycling.
* The most important thing I will tell a young entrepreneur is that once you've decided on an idea, and you really truly have done your research and you believe that it's a good one, please, don't give up.
** Bilikiss Adebiyi speaking on Entrepreneurship.
* I believe that once you can just marry your idea, believe in it. You will begin to see the results.
** Bilikiss Adebiyi speaking on Entrepreneurship.
* Why not waste? Why not recycling? I think as a woman, people might think that it's dirty, it's not something that women should do. I saw the opportunity that was there in this field and also the impact that we could have on people's lives. And that's really what drove me.
** Bilikiss Adebiyi speaking on Entrepreneurship.
* We want to make money, wanting to make money is important because the business is sustainable. But, then, we also want to be able to have a good impact on the lives of people.
** Bilikiss Adebiyi speaking on Business.