“Cleantech isn’t just about reducing harm; it’s about designing systems that restore balance, create opportunity, and serve communities for generations. True innovation must be both sustainable and inclusive.”— Sandra Enemeradu
Sandra Enemeradu is a visionary product leader and cleantech advocate whose work bridges technology, sustainability, and social impact. With over a decade of experience shaping inclusive innovations across the UK and Africa, she has emerged as a powerful force driving practical solutions that empower underserved communities, smallholder farmers, and early-stage entrepreneurs. Her journey is one of impact marked not only by the products she has built, but by the lives and systems she continues to transform.
Currently serving as Product Manager at Dravic Farms UK, Sandra led the development of a groundbreaking climate-smart hydroponic farming system that has redefined local food production. Designed to use 90% less water and cut crop cycles to just 18 days, the model has secured £50,000 in funding and is actively scaling across the UK and EU. The innovation not only supports regional food security but directly addresses climate resilience by reducing dependency on imports and encouraging sustainable agriculture at scale.
Sandra’s reputation for delivering user-focused, scalable innovations was cemented during her tenure at AirSmat Inc., where she spearheaded the rollout of an AI-powered precision agriculture platform reaching over 1,000 farmers across Africa. Her leadership in integrating drone technology, data analytics, and intuitive design helped farmers reduce water and fertilizer use while increasing crop yield real-world outcomes rooted in empathy and local context. The platform’s success was matched by her dedication to capacity-building, having trained over 200 farmers to sustainably transition into digital agriculture.
But Sandra’s influence extends far beyond product launches. At Foodlocker Africa, she was instrumental in building AI-driven diagnostics that helped smallholder farmers protect crops, manage soil health, and contribute to stronger, more resilient food supply chains. These innovations weren’t just technological feats; they were direct answers to systemic challenges facing African agriculture.
Her commitment to inclusive innovation is evident in her mentorship roles. With Kickoff Africa, she has guided high-growth startups like PayDay and Norebase, both of which have gone on to raise multi-million-dollar funding rounds and scale internationally. Whether supporting product-market fit or advising on tech strategy, Sandra brings both precision and purpose to her mentorship.
Sandra’s work has not gone unnoticed. In 2024, she was honored with the Product Innovation Excellence Award at the Dratech International Innovation Awards, a recognition of her outstanding contributions to technology and sustainability. Organized by Dratech International, a leading information technology organization in Nigeria the award celebrates African talents transforming the global tech landscape through innovation. Sandra’s win reflects not just a career milestone, but a commitment to building tools that are equitable, empowering, and enduring.
In addition to her practical work, Sandra is also a published contributor to journals and platforms focused on climate tech, inclusive product design, and sustainable systems. Her writings offer insight into the intersection of ethics and innovation, reinforcing her belief that technology must serve people first.
At the heart of Sandra Enemeradu’s journey is a clear conviction: that innovation should be rooted in empathy, built for impact, and scaled for the future. Whether leading product teams, mentoring founders, or advocating for green technologies, she continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible building not just products, but a legacy of change.
INTERVIEW WITH SANDRA ENEMERADU
Winner, Dratech International Innovation Award 2024
1. Sandra, your professional journey spans multiple countries, industries, and impactful innovations. As a Nigerian making strides across Africa and the UK in the cleantech space, what personal experiences shaped your passion for sustainable technology and product innovation?
Sandra Enemeradu: I was born and raised in Nigeria, where agriculture isn’t just a livelihood, it’s a way of life for millions of families. Growing up, I saw both the promise and the vulnerability of our food systems. I witnessed how small shifts in weather could devastate livelihoods, and how access, or the lack of it to technology could determine whether a farm thrived or failed. These early observations left a mark on me.
But what truly pushed me into product innovation and cleantech was a deep desire to create change that’s not only meaningful but accessible. I wanted to build tools that people in rural communities could actually use solutions that meet people where they are and help them move forward. My professional journey has taken me from the local farms in Africa to product labs in the UK, but the heart of my work remains constant: to innovate sustainably and inclusively. I believe that great technology should not just impress, it should empower.
2. You currently serve as Product Manager at Dravic Farms UK, where you led the development of a hydroponic farming model. Can you walk us through what that experience meant to you personally, and what broader impact you believe it’s creating?
Sandra Enemeradu: Dravic Farms was a pivotal chapter for me. When I joined, I saw an opportunity not just to build a product, but to solve a real-world challenge: how can we grow food faster, with fewer resources, and in more sustainable ways? The hydroponic model we developed uses 90% less water than traditional farming, accelerates crop cycles to as little as 18 days, and reduces our reliance on imported produce. That’s significant, especially in a climate-stressed world.
What made it more meaningful was the tangible impact. We secured £50,000 in funding and are now scaling this model across the UK and EU. But beyond the metrics, it’s seeing local farmers embrace a new way of growing food, one that’s both climate-smart and economically viable. Personally, it reaffirmed my belief that sustainability and innovation don’t have to be at odds; they can coexist beautifully when built with intention.
3.You were honored with the Dratech International Innovation Award in the Product Innovation Excellence category recently, a prestigious recognition celebrating African talents shaping the global tech landscape. What does that award mean to you, and what message do you think it sends to aspiring innovators from Nigeria and beyond?
Sandra Enemeradu: That award was deeply humbling. Not just because it recognized the work I’ve poured myself into over the years, but because it came from Dratech, a platform that’s truly championing African excellence in tech and innovation. Winning the Product Innovation Excellence Award felt like a full-circle moment. It was validation, yes, but more importantly, it was a message to young Nigerians and Africans: you belong on the global innovation stage.
For me, it was also a quiet reminder that our stories, our roots, our challenges, our triumphs matter. I’ve always believed in building for impact, but that night reinforced that impact doesn’t go unnoticed. It gave me renewed energy to keep pushing boundaries, and to keep mentoring the next generation of thinkers, doers, and builders coming out of our continent.
4. You’ve had the unique experience of working at the intersection of AI, agriculture, and climate resilience from AirSmat Inc. to Foodlocker Africa. How do you approach designing technology for communities that are traditionally underserved or overlooked?
Sandra Enemeradu: Great question because it gets to the heart of inclusive design. For me, building tech solutions for underserved communities means starting with empathy, not assumptions. When I worked on the precision agriculture platform at AirSmat, for instance, we weren’t just layering drones and IoT onto fields. We spent time with farmers, listened to their frustrations, and understood their routines. Only then did we build tools that were intuitive and useful tools they could actually use without needing a computer science degree.
Similarly, at Footlocker Africa, we designed AI-powered diagnostics that didn’t just churn out data, but gave farmers clear, actionable insights. It’s about translating complexity into clarity not dumbing it down, but making it truly accessible. And always, always grounding the work in respect for the people you’re designing for.
5. Outside of your corporate work, you’ve mentored startups like PayDay and Norebase; What drives you to give back, and what kind of legacy are you hoping to leave behind in the cleantech and innovation space?
Sandra Enemeradu: I believe impact is amplified through community. I’ve been fortunate to have mentors and allies who saw potential in me when I was still figuring things out and I carry that forward. When I mentor startups, I’m not just helping them refine product strategies; I’m helping them believe in their vision and build responsibly.
Platforms like Kickoff Africa and the Synafare Innovation Challenge are close to my heart because they nurture innovation where it’s needed most. And when I see startups I’ve worked with raise millions or go global, it reminds me that impact is a ripple it grows.
As for legacy, I hope to be remembered as someone who built things that lasted not just in product form, but in people, in mindsets, in ecosystems. I want to be part of a generation that didn’t just talk about change but designed it, scaled it, and shared it.
Conclusion
As we bring this enlightening conversation to a close, it is clear that Ms. Sandra Enemeradu is not only a product leader but a beacon of sustainable innovation and purpose-driven impact. Her journey from Nigeria to leading cleantech advancements across Africa and the United Kingdom reflects a rare blend of technical excellence, grounded empathy, and unrelenting commitment to building solutions that matter.
Through her work at Dravic Farms UK, Sandra is redefining food sustainability by championing a climate-smart hydroponic system that conserves water, accelerates crop production, and strengthens food security in local communities. Her earlier success at AirSmat Inc., where she led the development of AI-powered agricultural platforms, empowered over 1,000 farmers across Africa to adopt smarter, resource-efficient practices.
Beyond the products, Sandra has poured herself into nurturing innovation ecosystems, mentoring emerging founders, guiding early-stage startups, and contributing to innovation challenges that fuel the next wave of tech-enabled impact across the continent.
In recognition of her visionary leadership and dedication to building scalable, inclusive technologies, Dratech International proudly honored Sandra with the 2024 Product Innovation Excellence Award. This award not only celebrates her personal achievements but also shines a spotlight on a generation of Nigerians making a difference far beyond their borders.
To the aspiring changemakers reading this, especially the young women and men in Nigeria Sandra’s story is a powerful reminder that your roots can be the foundation for global relevance. Her path proves that world-class innovation can emerge from our communities, that local problems can inspire global solutions, and that excellence, when pursued with heart and discipline, will always find its voice.At Dratech, we remain committed to discovering and celebrating African talents like Sandra Enemeradu, who are rewriting the narrative of our continent not with noise, but with real work and lasting impact
