The sustainability industry in Nigeria represents one of many untapped opportunities, and developing sustainability-first solutions is not common in the country.
As a software engineer, working in the sustainability industry has been a very interesting journey. Particularly because, prior to my current job role, I had no experience in sustainability nor had I ever given it any attention even in a casual sense. Yes, there is general knowledge about how fumes from bad cars, generators, and other machines contribute negatively to climate change, but the majority of people who know this do not even know what climate change is exactly. 18 months ago, I was one of those people. But like I’ve always done throughout my software engineering career, I went in with an open mind.
18 months later, I and a small team of talented individuals at a startup out of Nigeria have built a carbon tracking solution that monitors, quantifies carbon emissions and rewards emission reductions.
How it started
CloseCarbon
Now that we’ve covered the subject, let’s talk about CloseCarbon. This is a project I’ve been working on for over 18 months, and it’s been quite the journey. As I previously stated, CloseCarbon tracks and quantifies carbon emissions while also rewarding emission reductions. It collects emission data using IoT devices and sends it to the CloseCarbon software, which calculates the emissions and reports them to the user in real time. The software also calculates the reduction in emissions based on a variety of factors. Licensed verifiers verify emissions and reductions, and the user receives rewards for their emissions reductions. The unique thing about this project is that it incentivizes users to reduce their emissions by offering a reward, making it the first of its kind in Nigeria.
The journey
While working on this project, I experienced days of confusion, questions, endless research, and overwhelming information. But I’m happy to say that I came out the other side as a software engineer with over a year of experience in the sustainability industry. Day by day, the countless questions turned into insightful information in the form of answers to my questions, and on some days, those answers led to even more confusion and questions, but I gradually digested the answers as they came until I could clearly see the vision for the project I was working on. Throughout this journey, my chemistry knowledge was tested on a daily basis. Particularly by the sustainability analysts who guided everyone on the project. It’s safe to say that on some days, I did my chemistry teachers proud, and on others, not so much haha!.
The perks
Working on this project made me appreciate the sustainability industry and how much the little decisions we make can greatly affect the planet we live in positively or negatively. It also brought to my attention the amount of effort put in globally by countries and organizations to promote sustainability. From the UNFCCC and its landmark Conferences of the Parties(COP), to the work of the IPCC and the global focus on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Summits. These initiatives show the shared commitment put into addressing climate change and building a more sustainable future.
Why I enjoy it
The reason I enjoy working in sustainability as an engineer is that it brings me that extra sense of pride in my work knowing that the products I build not only help the users in terms of whatever service the product provides, but it also contributes to saving our planet and making it a better place to live in. This was not a feeling I expected to have in my line of work because I had always associated it with health workers, military personnel, etc. But, given the direct health impact of carbon emissions and climate change, it makes me happy to know that, in my own small way, I help to save lives on a daily basis through the software I helped build. In traditional software engineering, success might be measured by KPIs, user adoption, or system uptime. But in the sustainability industry, success means fewer emissions, better resource efficiency, and real-world impact. It’s knowing that every script and deployment contributes, however modestly, to a more sustainable future.