Waste2Fuel 2.0 is a youth-led clean cooking and environmental education initiative in rural Northwestern Nigeria that trains secondary school students to produce eco-briquettes from agricultural waste as a sustainable alternative to firewood and charcoal. Currently in the testing and prototyping stage and operating for less than 12 months, the project builds on a successful pilot that trained 80 secondary school girls in briquette production and climate awareness.

The initiative promotes the use of agricultural waste as a renewable cooking fuel while reducing dependence on firewood, lowering pressure on local forests, and decreasing indoor air pollution. Through hands-on training, peer-led learning sessions, and school-based briquette groups, students acquire practical green skills and share knowledge with their families and communities, creating a multiplier effect beyond the classroom.

Impact: Promotes clean cooking solutions, youth leadership, environmental conservation, and community awareness while reducing reliance on firewood and supporting sustainable bioenergy alternatives. The project contributes to SDGs 4, 5, 7, 13, and 15.

Revenue Model: Grants, donations, prizes, community partnerships, and institutional support.

Expenses: Training materials, eco-briquette production supplies, demonstration kits, facilitator costs, monitoring and evaluation, community engagement activities, and school-based training sessions.

Challenges: Limited funding, access to production materials, introducing eco-briquettes to households unfamiliar with the technology, and balancing programme delivery with school schedules.

Vision: To establish schools as community hubs for clean cooking education and eco-briquette production, empowering students to become local sustainability champions. The project aims to train at least 400 students and reach 600 households while expanding youth-led clean cooking solutions across rural communities in Northwestern Nigeria.

Development Stage: Testing and Prototyping.

Project Links:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069803443166
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iczGqJQeTSHyBvHkdvlzmlP71MNG-yMT