Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu

Nnaemeka Chidiebere Ikegwuonu (born 1981 or 1982) is a Nigerian entrepreneur and radio broadcaster. He founded the Smallholders Foundation, which informs on sustainable farming through a radio station, and is CEO of ColdHubs, which rents solar-powered cold storage to food producers.

Early life and education Ikegwuonu is from a farming family in Imo State, Nigeria. He earned a bachelor's degree in history and international studies from Imo State University and, in 2009, a master's degree in cooperation and development from the Institute for Advanced Studies at the University of Pavia, in Italy. He also holds certificates in subjects including water resources management, poverty and human rights, and environmental education from various European universities. In 2003, when he was 21, he founded the Smallholders Foundation, to provide information to farmers on sustainable practices; he later added an interactive radio show, with farmers using solar-powered handsets with a Wi-Fi connection to communicate with the broadcasters. By 2010, it had approximately 250,000 listeners a day.

In 2012, Ikegwuonu travelled to Dresden, where he met with scientists to discuss a cold storage system they had designed.

He has also designed a trolley that prolongs the shelf life of cassava. He also received the Rolex Award in 2010, the WISE Award in 2010, and the Yara Prize for Green Revolution in Africa.