Written by: Mariam Idris
The Climate and Sustainable Development Network (CSDevNet), through GUARD Africa and the Tukpechi Women’s Association, on Wednesday, 26th November, 2025, launched a groundbreaking initiative titled “Empowering Women through Composting and Organic Waste Management to Strengthen Foundational Agroecology for Climate Action.”
This pilot project implemented in the Tukpechi community of the Kuje Area Council, FCT, aims to empower Tukpechi women to lead local composting and organic waste management systems that strengthen and center youth women in climate solutions by transforming organic waste into a resource for soil restoration and sustainable farming.
Addressing an Urgent Challenge: As Abuja rapidly urbanises, the Federal Capital Territory faces rising environmental pressures from unmanaged waste, declining soil fertility, and increasing climate vulnerability. More than 60% of municipal waste is organic, yet most of it is
dumped indiscriminately into the environment.
CSDevNet programme officer, Paul Joseph, highlighted the value of embracing locally driven methods of organic waste management, stressing that such practices not only boost crop productivity but also safeguard the community’s biodiversity. He encouraged the women and youth in attendance to take ownership of the initiative, acting as its custodians and champions within Tukpechi.
By doing so, he noted, they could transform the approach into a viable source of livelihood one that showcases the community’s ingenuity and can be replicated by neighbouring areas seeking sustainable, low-cost solutions to agricultural and environmental
challenges.
Mr. Paul Joseph and the CSDevNet Team took the participants through the pratical session rooted in community participation. Participatory training sessions demonstrated how to sort organic waste, build compost pits, use sacks for small-scale composting, and raise earthworms
for vermicompost.
Tools and materials such as compost bins, gloves, and sorting bags were provided to support the women’s work. A demonstration farm now showcases how compost improves soil structure, boosts moisture retention, and strengthens crops and Local authorities from Kuje Area Council have been engaged to support environmental compliance and integrate the initiative into broader waste management strategies.
Mr. Habilla Zine, the Community Chief, emphasized that in Tukpechi, women play a central role as stewards of household farming and food production, yet their efforts are often constrained by limited access to climate-smart tools and techniques. This lack of resources, he explained, has made it increasingly challenging for them to preserve soil fertility and adapt to the growing
unpredictability of weather patterns.
He noted that the recent training arrived at a crucial moment in the harvest season, when crop residues are abundant and can be transformed into organic fertilizers.
According to Chief Habilla, this new knowledge empowers community members to produce their own soil-enhancing inputs instead of relying on costly chemical fertilizers, easing financial burdens while promoting more sustainable farming practices.
Mrs. Dorcas Isaac, a dedicated farmer in the Tukpechi community, shared an emotional account of how the rising cost of chemical fertilizers had severely affected her cultivation this year, forcing her to reduce the size of her farmland and compromising her harvest.
She explained that many women farmers like herself have been struggling to keep up with the escalating prices, which continue to consume a significant portion of their seasonal income.
With visible relief, she expressed deep gratitude for the composting and organic waste management training, noting that it has opened her eyes to a sustainable alternative that allows her to manage her resources more wisely.
By learning how to produce organic fertilizers from simple agricultural residues and everyday household waste, Mrs. Isaac said she now feels empowered, more self-reliant, and optimistic about restoring soil fertility without the financial strain that chemical inputs impose.
Additionally, CSDevNet’s intervention revives indigenous knowledge and combines it with modern agroecological practices to provide a low-cost, sustainable solution: community-led composting.
In conclusion, the Tukpechi composting and agroecology initiative shows that climate action begins at home with the everyday practices of women who nurture both land and life.
By transforming waste into wealth and restoring the soil through indigenous methods, the project
offers a replicable model for communities across the FCT and beyond. It affirms the wisdom that when you empower women, you empower the land and when the land thrives, so does the community.