Rural Industrialisation via Energy Technologies (RIVET)

Cassava to kilowatts — Pioneering Circular Bioenergy Solutions That Reduce Waste and Uplift Rural Women Farmers and Fryers

Empowering Women in Rural Communities

The Rural Industrialisation via Energy Technologies (RIVET) project aims to transform cassava waste into clean energy, addressing Nigeria's rural energy needs while empowering women in agricultural communities. This GCRF-funded feasibility study demonstrates how circular economy principles can deliver sustainable development goals through innovative waste-to-energy solutions.

Survey of three communities

Using Human-Centered Design methodology, we conducted focus groups, co-creation activities, and stakeholder mapping across three Nigerian communities (Eruwa, Oke Medina, and Owode) to ensure solutions meet real user needs.

Collaborative design for safer food production

Garri (Cassava) is a vital food staple, and women play a central role in its production. Yet, the traditional use of firewood exposes them to harmful smoke, heat stress, and long working hours under unsafe conditions.

Most garri fryers begin work as young as 9 years old and continue into adulthood, often working while pregnant or while caring for young children on site. Cassava processing is labour-intensive and dominated by women and girls, many starting work from as young as 9 years old.

Current practices are unsafe, and widens the gender inequality gap. Our collaboration was to ensure gender inclusion throughout the RIVET project, applying Human-Centred Design (HCD) to integrate women's feedback and tailor solutions.

Solutions shaped by community insights and feedback

We made sure to involve women in the design process, and collaborated with them to create a solution that is safe, efficient, and sustainable. We iterated on the design process multiple times to ensure that the solution is practical and effective.

Impact across communities

While we specifically target three core SDGs, the RIVET project's holistic approach has the potential to positively impact 11 out of 17 Sustainable Development Goals. This interconnected impact demonstrates how innovative rural industrialization can serve as a catalyst for comprehensive sustainable development across multiple sectors and communities.

SDG 8.5: Productive employment and decent work for all

SDG 12.5: Reduce waste generation of cassava waste through biogas production

SDG 13.3: Climate action - reduce deforestation and restore degraded land

Outcomes

This feasibility study has demonstrated the potential for transformative change in Nigeria's rural communities through innovative waste-to-energy solutions. By combining technical innovation with human-centered design, we've developed a framework that addresses both environmental and social challenges.

Key findings show that community-specific solutions, developed through direct engagement with women garri fryers, can significantly improve working conditions while contributing to sustainable development goals. The project's success in engaging 48 women across three communities validates the importance of gender-inclusive approaches to rural development.

Moving forward, the RIVET project provides a replicable model for implementing circular economy principles in rural agricultural communities. The combination of clean energy solutions, gender empowerment, and sustainable livelihoods offers a promising pathway for scaling impact across Nigeria and similar contexts in Sub-Saharan Africa.