Debola Ibiyode, founder and CEO of Carbon AI, has highlighted the growing convergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and climate technology as a major catalyst for economic growth, job creation, and sustainable development.
Speaking on TVC’s flagship breakfast programme, Wake Up Nigeria, Ibiyode explained how the global carbon market is evolving into a multi-billion-dollar industry, creating new opportunities for businesses, innovators, and skilled professionals. She argued that Nigeria is well-positioned to leverage AI-driven climate solutions to unlock economic value while addressing environmental challenges.
Addressing widespread misconceptions about climate initiatives, Ibiyode pointed out that pushback against green energy often stems from economic anxieties rather than environmental disagreement, stressing,“the transition to a low-carbon economy is a powerful catalyst for growth, rather than a threat to prosperity.”
If you’ve been used to making money from fuel, carbon initiatives are going to disrupt that space. But this is a multi-billion-dollar industry. It isn’t just about saying don’t use oil; there is an incredible economic advantage to it,” she noted.
Ibiyode highlighted how localized climate projects create jobs at both grassroots and national levels, specifically pointing to agriculture as a prime frontier for green industrialization in Nigeria. She also argued that agricultural waste and products, such as livestock byproducts, corn, rice, and wheat, can be transformed into renewable energy alternatives like ethanol.
“Investing in these refining pathways builds local industries and drives massive employment in rural and agrarian communities. Ultimately, this shift provides Nigeria with a viable, sustainable alternative source of foreign exchange and export volume outside of crude oil,” she added.
Speaking further during the show, Ibiyode lauded local milestones, referencing the Lagos State Carbon Credit Registry and ongoing state-level engagements with energy ministries as proof that sub-national governments are beginning to take the carbon economy seriously.
For the everyday citizen or corporate executive who finds the green ecosystem complex, Ibiyode positioned Carbon AI as the definitive bridge, which operates as a comprehensive sustainability intelligence platform and functions as a single source of truth for global carbon project data, credit pricing, and environmental insights.
She explained that Carbon AI leverages AI to process vast amounts of data with extreme speed, giving companies with net-zero targets the precise insights needed to fulfill their climate commitments effectively.
As an advocate for technology adoption, Ibiyode shared exclusive insights from a recent macroeconomic study conducted by her team.
The research revealed that proper AI integration could drive 10% to 15% productivity gains at the governance and institutional levels in Nigeria.
However, she warned against the rising trend of AI washing, where companies overhype basic tools or falsely assume AI is meant to replace human workers.”
Companies are adopting AI wrongly when they think it can replace people. It’s like when Excel came out and people thought it would replace accountants. It didn’t; accountants just became faster and better. AI is a level playing field for every nation, but we must move from being mere consumers of foreign AI tools to becoming creators of our own,” she said.
To bridge the infrastructure and educational gaps holding back local innovation, Ibiyode called on large enterprise corporations to partner with the government to fund structured AI adoption and digital literacy initiatives.
By teaching the youth to build and innovate, whether in climate tech, healthcare, or agriculture, Nigeria can successfully build solutions tailored to its unique local realities.
