Entrepreneur Tare Robinson Korumene is redefining sustainability with a remarkable innovation: turning plantain stems into beautiful, eco-friendly products like hair extensions, bags, and shoes.
Through her company, Eco FIP Nigeria Limited, the Nigerian woman is leading a groundbreaking circular design model where nothing goes to waste.
With a dedicated team of 22 staff members, the company strategically harvests plantain trees immediately after fruiting, ensuring that every part — from the stem to the fibers and liquids — is reused to minimize waste and avoid overproduction.
“A lot of people are amazed. Especially when I wear this and I go out and they know that this is from plantain,” Robinson says in videos trending on social media. “By the time you say plantain or banana, how? Things that are often considered waste is what we are using to create jobs — hair, bags, and shoes from something that is often considered waste.”
Eco FIP Nigeria isn’t just creating stylish everyday products; they are leading a quiet revolution in innovation, ingenuity, and creativity.
Beyond fashion accessories, Robinson envisions a much broader potential for plantain by-products.
“We can make plates with it, take-away plates, cutleries — all the waste is what we are going to use in doing all that,” she said. “We’re not even talking about furniture. We can use it to make furniture.”
By transforming agricultural waste into high-demand products, Eco FIP is creating sustainable jobs, reducing environmental impact, and reshaping the way communities view waste.
Her innovation is a promise to a greener, more innovative future.
