Nigerian farmers are increasingly converting agricultural waste into useful resources such as compost, biogas, and organic fertilizer—cutting costs, improving yields, and promoting sustainable agriculture.
In an exclusive interview, President of the Batkash National Farmers Forum Cooperative, Retson Tedheke said his farming operations now rely heavily on organic waste.
“We use cattle dung as organic fertilizer and crop residue like grasses for mulching. Even ashes from waste play a role in our traditional food preparation,” he said.
Tedheke described the absence of government-backed infrastructure as a major challenge. “There’s no policy driving the agricultural sector to turn waste into a key component of production. What we need is investment in machinery and technology to scale these local efforts,” he said. He explained that the benefits of waste-to-resource practices are significant.
“We’ve reduced the use of chemical fertilizers, created jobs by involving locals in waste collection, and improved soil moisture during dry seasons through mulching,” he added.
In Benue State, Heifer International Nigeria is training farmers to transform agricultural waste. Community facilitator, Mayange Manasseh Terungwa, said the organisation has trained dozens of facilitators in Gwer West Local Government Area. “Farmers now convert rice husk, straw, and animal dung into organic fertilizer and other by-products. Naka Rice Mill, for instance, sells husk by-products used for covering yam heaps and even making roofs,” he said.
Terungwa added that the long-term goal is to help farmers adapt to climate change. “Through Heifer’s climate-smart agriculture training and the Twelve Cornerstones model, farmers are adopting practices that are both environmentally and economically sustainable.”
Heifer International has also distributed 145 solar-powered water pumps to farmers in Benue under a two-year payment plan to support year-round irrigation.
In Abuja’s suburbs, farmers are seeing practical results. Joy Ifeanyi, who manages a 5-acre mixed farm in Kuje, said composting has reduced her dependency on chemical inputs. “We collect plantain peels, chicken droppings, and spoilt tomatoes from markets. My vegetables look healthier,” she said.
Ali Musa, a poultry farmer in Lugbe, has turned his chicken waste into a small business. “Before, we threw it away. Now, crop farmers collect it and pay for it,” he said.
Farmers and stakeholders say proper investment can scale waste-reuse innovations to boost productivity, create rural jobs, and cut Nigeria’s carbon footprint.
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