In a bold step to tackle unemployment and promote sustainable agriculture, the Rivers State Cooperative Federation has partnered with Netherlands-based investors to launch a waste-to-wealth initiative set to create 23,000 jobs for youths across Rivers State. The initiative, led by the Agricultural Social Entrepreneurship Foundation (ASEF) and its Waste4Meal project, centers on recycling agricultural waste using black soldier flies to produce high-value export commodities.
The programme aims to generate 1,000 jobs in each of Rivers State’s 23 local government areas, with implementation supported by 14 partners including New Generation Nutrition (Netherlands) and FIDAS Africa. The first training session began on April 22, 2025, at Rumuodomaya in Obio/Akpor LGA, where over 100 youths and women were enrolled in the pilot phase.
Brilliant Amadi, President of the Rivers Cooperative Federation, highlighted the export potential of frass — an organic by-product of the black soldier fly. Currently valued at over $10 per 20kg bag in European markets, frass is rich in protein and serves as an organic fertilizer that boosts soil health. Its high demand across Europe, particularly in countries like the Netherlands, underscores the initiative’s economic viability.
Amadi explained that black soldier fly derivatives can be used to produce animal feed, edible oil for margarine, pharmaceuticals, biodiesel, and organic fertilizers. He said the Waste4Meal consortium plans to build four greenhouses across the three senatorial zones of Rivers State, with the first already established in Obio/Akpor LGA. The Port Harcourt centre is expected to serve as a regional hub for the South-South and parts of the South-East.
The project’s Nigerian coordinator, Oluwole Azeez, who also heads ASEF, is overseeing development in Port Harcourt. He stated that the initiative goes beyond environmental sustainability, positioning itself as a driver of food security and import substitution by reducing Nigeria’s reliance on imported animal feed and protein.
Azeez noted that the broader plan involves creating 100,000 jobs across Africa, including 40,000 direct jobs in 28 Nigerian states and 160,000 indirect roles along the value chain over a period of five to seven years.
Amadi urged youths and women in Rivers State to embrace the opportunity, adding that the Cooperative Federation is planning support mechanisms to help trainees establish their own black soldier fly farms. “Any aspiring youth can earn as much as N100,000 monthly from their backyard,” he said. “Imagine the impact this will have on families, communities, and the society at large.”
This partnership signals a new direction for job creation, environmental sustainability, and youth empowerment, positioning Rivers State as a model for agricultural innovation across Nigeria and beyond.
