Jobs seem nowhere to be found, and when it is seen, the terms and conditions attached seem to be bizarre.
Now, the Rivers Cooperative Federation has entered into partnership with Netherlands-based investors, represented by Agricultural Social Entrepreneurship Foundation (ASEF) and its Waste4Meal project, aimed at creating 23,000 jobs for unemployed youths in the state.
The initiative, which involves the recycling of agricultural waste from black soldier fly into export-viable by-products, will see the cooperative federation and its 14 partners, led by New Generation Nutrition (Netherlands) and FIDAS Africa, to create 1,000 jobs in each of the 23 local government areas of Rivers State.
According to Brilliant Amadi, President of the Rivers State Cooperative Federation, frass, a by-product of the black soldier fly, presently has a market value of over $10 per 20kg bag in Europe, including the Netherlands.
With a high protein content, frass has been described as a rich natural source of nutrient for enhancing soil productivity and resilience, with the fact that it is organic placing it in high demand in the European markets.
Amadi said the waste-to-meal initiative kicked off in Rumuodomaya, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, with over a 100 Rivers youths and women in the first batch of trainees.
The consortium of investors, represented by Waste4Meal, are to construct four green houses, one in each of the three senatorial districts, with the first one already sited at Rumuodumaya in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
Oluwole Azeez, Project Coordinator for the Waste4Meal initiative, is already in Port Harcourt to oversee the development of the pilot phase and subsequent stages, Amadi said, adding that the Port Harcourt centre has been earmarked as the regional hub for the South-South and neighbouring states in South East.
By-products from the black soldier fly, he said, can be formulated to produce animal feed, edible oil for producing margarine, pharmaceuticals and bio-diesel, as well as serve as organic fertilizer.
“We don’t want our youths to keep roaming the streets, being an instrument for social vices and all such. With this initiative, any aspiring youths can make as much as N100,000 monthly from his or her backyard. Imagine the impact this can make on the society and the youths themselves,” he said.
Amadi urged Rivers youths and women to take advantage of the opportunity and enroll for the training, adding that the Cooperative Federation is working out modalities towards supporting trainees to establish their own black soldier fly farms at the end of the training.
According to a statement from Azeez, who is also president of Agricultural Social Entrepreneurship Foundation (ASEF), Waste4Meal is intended to tackle issues of food security and reduce Nigeria’s dependency on importation of animal feed and protein needed in feed production.
He stated that the project would create about 100,000 jobs across countries in Africa, with 40,000 direct jobs created in 28 states in Nigeria and 160,000 indirect jobs created along the value chain over a period of five to seven years.
