CGIAR–IITA joined Africa’s first and only Waste Museum to celebrate one year of service to humanity in its waste-to-wealth initiatives. The founder of the Waste Museum, Jumoke Olowookere, invited Hilde Koper-Limbourg, IITA Deputy Director General, Corporate Services (DDG-CS); Adewale Awoyemi, Head IITA Forest Center; and Kayode Awobajo, Head of Project Development and Administration Unit (PDAU); to the event on 16 February.
The event started with a brief tour of the museum where “plants, animals, and people all live to utilize waste in a circular economy.” Over 180 indigenous plants are grown on the museum grounds for their food, ornamental, and health benefits. Waste from animals and man feed the plants, which purify the atmospheric air. The biodegradable (grass, paper, and food) waste generated by humans in the museum is used to feed black soldier flies, which are then used to feed livestock raised in the museum.
The non-biodegradable wastes are fashioned into artwork, doormats, jewelry, sitting stools, doorway partitions, and other valuable accessories. Olowookere quipped, “We don’t have a waste bin here. All our wastes are utilized one way or another.”
In its one-year existence, the waste museum has achieved many feats. They recently partnered with a cotton-producing company to supply cotton for cloth making. They also trained multiple cohorts of individuals, including children, youths, adults, and other community members and organizations, to utilize waste as resources for wealth. They harnessed funds from the US Consulate to train different calibers of people to preserve the environment through their 5Rs and a U—Reduce, Reuse, Refuse, Repair, Recycle, and Upcycle—strategy. They also create furniture, jewelry, accessories, and an event tent, all from waste, and set up organic gardens for people.
In the next five years, the Waste Museum looks forward to creating jobs for unemployed youth by training some to be eco-teachers who would, in turn, train others to care sustainably for the environment through all its waste-wealth programs. They also look forward to setting up compost sites in all major markets in Ibadan and expanding their location, partnerships, and resource base, among others.
IITA continues to support the Waste Museum, letting them use the Institute’s biogas facility and conference center for its training programs. Recognizing IITA’s immense contributions to the success of the Waste Museum, Olowookere announced the outgoing Director General of IITA, Dr Nteranya Sanginga, as one of the patrons of the Waste Museum. She also named Awobajo a member of its Advisory Board and conferred on Koper-Limbourg an Award of Honor.
Olowookere recognized the unique contributions of these IITA players, recounting different memorable points where each one had been instrumental in actualizing the zero-waste economy of the Waste Museum. “The Waste Museum stands because of the efforts of people like these who bought into this vision when it was in my head—when I thought I was crazy. But they kept me going,” She concluded.
Contributed by Folake Oduntan
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