PestInsight Empowers Youth in Africa and Beyond Through Education

IBADAN, Nigeria – When Shofu Babalola was studying to be an industrial chemist at the University of Ibadan in Ibadan, Nigeria, he came face-to-face with a bed bug infestation on campus in November 2018. He then thought about how he could find a solution using his background in science.

In January 2019, Babalola produced his first product to combat bed bugs, which he sold to students who then requested that he assist them in applying the product and carrying out treatments in Nigeria. The demand Babalola saw for pest control treatments led him to inquire about providing formal services. After being referred to a friend’s dad’s business, Babalola began working on residential pest control accounts.

He soon realized there could be more opportunities in the pest control industry and connected with industry members, eventually founding SB Super Pest Solutions (formerly SB Fumigation Services). The pest control company celebrated its seventh anniversary in January.

Babalola noticed that a lot of people, especially students and younger individuals, don’t understand how pests behave. “People always ask the same questions — ‘where do bed bugs hide? How do I get rid of them?’” he said. 

In 2020, Babalola responded to these questions and more by creating blog articles about pest awareness under the name PestInsight on his company’s website. Those blogs then evolved into short educational posts shared on social media platforms. A year later, Babalola started a radio platform that he originally named PestInsight Radio but has since changed to Insight Radio to cover more topics.

Although the radio’s name changed, PestInsight continued to grow as a larger, broader initiative. Today, the PestInsight Initiative serves as a youth-focused global campaign that educates students and young professionals about pest control and public health through media, training and other resources. The initiative’s team is made up of Babalola and Daniel Baldwin, who serves as the international advisor and is vice president of technical services at Hawx Services.

Last year, Babalola realized more could be done through PestInsight to reach students. In May 2025, Babalola started the PestInsight for Schools initiative and hosted its first event at his alma mater, the University of Ibadan.

“We trained over 95 students on bed bug control — how to spot them, what to do, [and] how to prevent infestations,” Babalola said. “Most of them are using the same product and we have a lot of people using the same product in the same room, so reinfestation will occur, resistance will occur. So, we trained them about resistance, and we trained them about pesticide usage.”

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The initiative also has grown with sponsors and grants. At the 2026 Purdue Pest Management Conference, Pi Chi Omega announced that they presented a $1,879 grant to Babalola to be used for the PestInsight for Schools initiative. “Pi Chi Omega is [a] great supporter of the PestInsight Initiative,” he said. “They were the first set of people to ever believe in PestInsight.”

As PestInsight and Babalola continue to address youth pest control education, they’re now also working to attract professionals to the industry. Late last year, PestInsight launched the PestInsight Apprenticeship Program and PestInsight Academy. The two platforms are designed to train young professionals in pest control, environmental health and business. PestInsight Academy offers self-paced and instructor-led online courses on topics such as urban and agricultural pest management, vector control, chemical safety and pest control business management.

The PestInsight Public Health & Environmental Apprenticeship Program (PPHEMAP) is a three-month training program aimed at preparing professionals in pest management, environmental services and sanitation entrepreneurship. PPHEMAP is set to run from June to August and will combine virtual learning, field practice and community project work.

“We have young people in school who probably after school don’t know what they want to do; people who are probably studying the environmental sector, but they don’t know the advantage of pest control,” Babalola said. “We also have professionals who are looking for staff like me. … We’re also creating the workforce, we’re creating job opportunities for people, we’re creating awareness of the pest control industry and pest control itself.”

As PestInsight develops and provides educational and training opportunities for youth, students and young professionals, Babalola said he continues to look for collaboration with potential sponsors and partners. One of his favorite parts of being the CEO and president of PestInsight, however, is the impact it has on people.

“One of my greatest joys is the amount of people who find potential in themselves on a daily basis because they work with me,” Babalola said. “This project is not just for me, [and] it is not just for Nigeria alone; it has gone beyond.”