What happens to cooking oil after restaurants, homes and markets are finished with it? In Nigeria, much of it never enters a formal waste collection system. Ororo Waste Management wants to change that, and it now has fresh capital to expand its operations.

The Nigerian waste-management company has secured a commitment of up to $1 million from Rising Tide Africa, a women-led pan-African angel investment network. The financing was structured through a corporate note, with the first tranche received on September 16, 2026.

The money will support new collection infrastructure, purchases of used cooking oil from suppliers and operating expenses as Ororo expands.

The opportunity is substantial. Nigeria is estimated to produce around 840,000 metric tonnes of used cooking oil each year, yet more than 95% remains outside formal collection channels. When waste oil is improperly discarded, it can enter drainage systems and contribute to environmental problems. Unsafe reuse can also raise health concerns.

Ororo currently operates collection hubs serving Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt. Over the next five years, it plans to build a network of more than 40 hubs across Nigeria.

Collected oil comes from restaurants, markets, households and institutions. After entering Ororo’s system, certified material can be supplied to international biofuel and sustainable aviation fuel markets. The company also uses GPS tracking and QR codes to trace oil throughout its collection and export process.

Expansion could create opportunities beyond waste management. Ororo currently works with around 5,000 formally paid collectors and aims to increase that number to more than 200,000 by 2031. Women are expected to account for at least half of its new market-level collection points.

The company is also targeting more than 150,000 metric tonnes of certified used cooking oil collection annually.

At TheGreyIT, we believe Ororo’s expansion shows how overlooked waste can become part of a larger economic opportunity. If the company can successfully build its collection network, discarded cooking oil could generate income locally while supplying a growing international renewable-fuel market.