Across Nigeria, two challenges grow side by side: mounting volumes of agricultural waste and rising food production costs. Every day, tonnes of organic matter from livestock farms, fish ponds, food processing facilities, and crop systems are discarded while farmers struggle to afford the fertilizers they need to stay productive.

What if the solution to one problem could unlock the answer to the other?

Waste is a resource in disguise

For decades, organic agricultural waste has been treated as something to dispose of, a burden that pollutes waterways, clogs drainage systems, and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Yet these same waste streams are often rich in the very nutrients that crops need to grow.

The challenge has never been a lack of resources. It has been a lack of systems to recover and reuse them. The City Waste for Increased Food and Wealth (CiWaCiWe) project exists to change that.

The climate stakes are rising

Climate change is reshaping what's possible for farmers across Africa. Unpredictable rainfall, extreme temperatures, and declining soil fertility are squeezing productivity. At the same time, the production and distribution of synthetic fertilizers contribute significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions making the search for sustainable alternatives not just desirable, but urgent.

Circular agriculture where organic waste is recovered and reintroduced as productive inputs offers a compelling response. It reduces environmental pollution, lowers production costs, and strengthens food security, all at once.

How CiWaCiWe is making it happen

Through CiWaCiWe, APDC and its partners are demonstrating what's possible when innovation meets necessity. The project trains young people and women to convert organic waste streams into liquid fertilizers and nutrient solutions that support hydroponic and bioponic farming system, creating a circular food system where resources are reused rather than discarded.

Participants aren't just learning a skill. They're discovering an asset. Waste that once cost money to manage is becoming a source of income and agricultural value.

A model that delivers on multiple fronts

The benefits extend well beyond individual farms. Farmers gain access to affordable, locally produced alternatives to synthetic fertilizers. Communities benefit from cleaner environments and more sustainable waste management. And entrepreneurs see genuine business opportunities in waste collection, processing, packaging, and distribution, a model that creates environmental, social, and economic value simultaneously.

A different kind of answer to food insecurity

As Africa seeks solutions to food insecurity and climate change, the most powerful answers may not always involve producing more. Sometimes, they involve wasting less and thinking more creatively about the resources already at hand.

CiWaCiWe is proof that waste can become wealth, that pollution can become productivity, and that environmental challenges can open economic doors. By championing circular agriculture and climate-smart innovation, the project is helping build a future where food production and environmental sustainability are not in tension but in step.