Expert urges positioning for sustainable kitchen market
Founder and Chief Executive, SMEFUNDS, Dr. Femi Oye, has called on Africa to position itself at the vanguard for the transformation of sustainable kitchen market in the interest of job
Founder and Chief Executive, SMEFUNDS, Dr. Femi Oye, has called on Africa to position itself at the vanguard for the transformation of sustainable kitchen market in the interest of job creation and economic growth.
He said: “These numbers should excite every African entrepreneur. We are talking about an $8 trillion economic transition in food systems, energy, and technology. Nigeria and Africa as a whole cannot afford to sit on the sidelines. SMEFUNDS is committed to ensuring that small and medium enterprises across the continent understand and participate in this shift.
“The kitchen is not just where meals are prepared — it is where economies are built, where energy is consumed or conserved, and where the choices of today determine the health of our planet tomorrow. At SMEFUNDS, we believe the sustainable kitchen of the future is not a distant dream. It is here, and Kike AI is helping ordinary Nigerians access it right now.”
According to him, one of the most exciting scientific developments underpinning the sustainable kitchen movement is the emergence of indoor photovoltaics.
He added that researchers at the 5GSOLAR project are advancing the use of antimony sulfide (Sb₂S₃), an earth-abundant, environmentally friendly material capable of converting artificial light from LED bulbs and fluorescent lamps directly into electricity.
This breakthrough, he maintained, could eventually allow smart kitchen appliances, sensors, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices to power themselves from ambient light already present in any home, eliminating battery dependency entirely. To this end, he noted that real-world kitchens are already embracing solar power.
He cited the case of India, where commercial kitchens are pairing rooftop solar panels with piped natural gas and biomass pellet stoves to diversify energy sources and shield businesses from supply disruptions. In South Africa, he continued, curved solar mirror kitchens are transforming how off-grid rural communities cook, generating enough concentrated heat to boil water, prepare full meals, and sterilise food — all without fuel costs, smoke, or carbon emissions.
“Solar-powered indoor technology is not science fiction anymore. When we talk about the kitchen of the future, we are talking about a space that generates its own energy, wastes nothing, and is guided intelligently by AI. Africa is a continent of sun and ingenuity. The sustainable kitchen of the future belongs to us as much as anyone else.
“At the intersection of sustainability and technology sits Kike AI — an AI-powered kitchen assistant that SMEFUNDS has championed as a flagship tool in its Sustainable Kitchen of the Future campaign. Accessible at kikego.com/chat, Kike AI is designed to take the stress and guesswork out of sustainable cooking for everyday Nigerians and African households. Users simply tell Kike what ingredients are available in their refrigerator or pantry, and the platform suggests complete, nutritious meals — reducing food waste, saving money, and eliminating the need for daily meal-deal packaging. Kike AI also delivers step-by-step recipes, budget-friendly meal plans, and smart kitchen guidance tailored to each user’s needs, without requiring any culinary expertise.”
According to him, the vision behind Kike AI extends well beyond the individual household. “SMEFUNDS has framed it as a catalyst for an entirely new kitchen economy in Nigeria. Every interaction within the Kike ecosystem — from meal planning to ingredient sourcing — creates ripple effects across supply chains, connecting gas vendors, food sellers, delivery riders, and digital service providers in a web of economic activity.
“Every time a Nigerian household uses Kike AI to plan a meal with local ingredients, they are not only eating healthier — they are supporting a local farmer, reducing food miles, cutting waste, and contributing to a greener economy. This is what we mean when we say sustainable cooking is both an environmental and an economic imperative. The future kitchen we are describing is not for a select few in Silicon Valley or Scandinavia. It must be for everyone. Kike AI is our contribution to making that future accessible and relevant to Africans. We are building tools that meet people where they are — in their homes, in their communities, with their local ingredients and their daily budgets. The sustainable kitchen of the future starts in Nigeria.”
Market analysts estimate that the global sustainable kitchen sector was valued at approximately $15 billion in 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of roughly eight per cent projected through 2033. Market Reports Analytics and others attributed this to rising environmental consciousness among consumers, tightening energy-efficiency regulations in the EU and North America, and a post-pandemic boom in home cooking and renovation.
According to the report, smart energy management systems that integrate induction cooktops, heat pump-assisted ovens, and water-saving technologies into broader connected home platforms are fast becoming mainstream.
Globally, household cooking accounts for roughly 10 per cent of total energy consumption. Oye noted that the transition to induction and AI-supported technologies has already surpassed gas in terms of precision and efficiency, and that commercial kitchens equipped with AI-driven inventory management can reduce food waste by as much as 95 per cent.
