Ezinne Sarah Otisi: Weaving Heritage, Agriculture, and Innovation Into a Sustainable Future

In a world often defined by quick fixes and fleeting trends, there are individuals who choose to walk a different path, one that is deliberate, rooted, and enduring. From classrooms in Nigeria to farms on the city’s edge, and from international forums to the heart of rural traditions, Ezinne Sarah Otisi has steadily built a life dedicated to weaving sustainability into the fabric of everyday living. For her, sustainability is not a slogan. It is a lifestyle, an inheritance for the future, and a responsibility to the present.

Ezinne Sarah Otisi

Seeds of Change in Education and Language

Ezinne’s journey into sustainability began not in policy chambers or research labs, but in classrooms and community spaces. She volunteered her time to train Almajiris, children who had left northern Nigeria in search of food, shelter, and education. She organized summer camps in collaboration with the FCT City Library, offering learning spaces where children could rediscover hope and possibility.

Her vision, however, stretched beyond borders. With a degree in Botany and a Level 4 proficiency in Mandarin from the Confucius Institute, Ezinne identified a gap in Nigeria’s labor market. She founded a language learning community, empowering young Nigerians to learn Mandarin to improve their employability in the growing Chinese expatriate community. At the same time, she encouraged Chinese nationals to learn Nigerian languages, an initiative that fostered cultural exchange, preserved indigenous tongues, and strengthened ties between Nigeria and China. This cultural bridge earned her recognition by UNESCO, where she represented Nigeria at the International Youth Forum on Creativity and Heritage along the Silk Road in 2019, contributing to the drafting of the Changsha Initiative on heritage preservation and youth empowerment.

Building Resilience Through Agriculture

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, Ezinne once again turned challenge into opportunity. Nigeria, like much of the world, was gripped by food insecurity. Farmers lacked storage and market access, while city residents struggled to obtain fresh produce. Drawing on her agricultural background, she launched Zintel Botanical, an agribusiness built on the concept of “farm to table.”

Through Zintel, she leveraged social media to collect consumer orders, sourced fresh produce directly from farms, prepped and packaged them, and delivered them to households across the city. The impact was immediate: farmers gained steady income, food waste was reduced, and families accessed fresh, nutritious food at their doorstep. More than a business, it was a demonstration of how resilient food systems can emerge from crisis when guided by innovation and empathy.

Agritourism: Reconnecting People with the Land

Today, Ezinne’s most powerful work takes form in agritourism. Under her platform Agro Xplore, she curates immersive travel experiences that connect people with farms, vineyards, and rural communities. Her mission is clear: to elevate the value of traditional food systems, agricultural heritage, and eco-friendly tourism.

Through visual storytelling and social media, she brings the beauty of rural life to the world, highlighting not just the produce of the land but also the stories, traditions, and wisdom of those who nurture it. For Ezinne, agritourism is more than travel, it is advocacy. It is about rekindling respect for nature, reviving indigenous farming knowledge, and ensuring that agriculture remains both a livelihood and a cultural legacy.

Expanding Into Sustainable Fashion

Never one to stand still, Ezinne is now exploring sustainable fashion, inspired by her agricultural roots. She envisions a venture that draws from natural fibers, traditional crafts, and conscious production to create clothing that honors both people and the planet. In her words, “At the heart of my work is a single thread that celebrates heritage while shaping a sustainable future.” Whether in fashion or farming, she remains committed to lifting up stories that matter.

Global Recognition and Leadership

Ezinne’s influence extends well beyond Nigeria’s borders. She serves as a youth representative in the World Food Forum, shaping policies and actions around agrifood systems. As an active member of YOUNGO, the official youth constituency of the UNFCCC, she contributes to climate negotiations and promotes child and youth participation in climate projects.

Her leadership continues as a founding member of the World Food Forum’s National Youth Chapter in Hungary, ensuring that young people have a platform to collaborate with policymakers, researchers, and industry leaders on sustainability challenges. Her distinction as a UPG Sustainability Leader (Class of 2025) further cements her role as one of the bright voices guiding the global conversation on climate and sustainability.

A Perspective from Planet First Press

At Planet First Press, we see in Ezinne Sarah Otisi not only a changemaker but also a storyteller of heritage, resilience, and possibility. Her work in agritourism reimagines how we relate to food systems, not merely as consumers but as custodians of culture and land. Her expansion into sustainable fashion signals a bold creativity that honors tradition while responding to modern challenges.

In a fragmented world, Ezinne reminds us that sustainability is not a field confined to policy reports or boardrooms. It is found in the laughter of children at a summer camp, in the quiet dignity of farmers whose produce finally reaches the market, and in the timeless traditions of rural communities that deserve to be celebrated.

She is proof that sustainability is indeed a lifestyle, and in her vision lies the promise of a future where people, culture, and planet thrive together.