Ideas change everything

How I turned a deadly plant into a thriving business

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Achenyo Idachaba |

TEDWomen 2015

• May 2015

The water hyacinth may look like a harmless, even beautiful flowering plant -- but it's actually an invasive aquatic weed that clogs waterways, stopping trade, interrupting schooling and disrupting everyday life. In this scourge, green entrepreneur Achenyo Idachaba saw opportunity. Follow her journey as she turns weeds into woven wonders.

Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

The water hyacinth may look like a harmless, even beautiful flowering plant -- but it's actually an invasive aquatic weed that clogs waterways, stopping trade, interrupting schooling and disrupting everyday life. In this scourge, green entrepreneur Achenyo Idachaba saw opportunity. Follow her journey as she turns weeds into woven wonders.

Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

This talk was presented at an official TED conference.

Read our curation guidelines.

Help unlock the potential of women entrepreneurs. The International Trade Center initiative seeks to connect one million women entrepreneurs to markets by 2020. The ripple effect in our communities from an economic and development standpoint would be astronomical.

About the speaker

Achenyo Idachaba

Green entrepreneur

See speaker profile

Achenyo Idachaba is the head of MitiMeth, a Nigeria-based company that makes handicrafts from aquatic weeds and other agro-waste.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference.

Read our curation guidelines.

Help unlock the potential of women entrepreneurs. The International Trade Center initiative seeks to connect one million women entrepreneurs to markets by 2020. The ripple effect in our communities from an economic and development standpoint would be astronomical.