For many people, food waste is simply an unavoidable consequence of modern consumption. For Chidera Awurum Makinde, it represents one of Africa’s greatest untapped opportunities.
As the founder of Awtside International Ltd., she is challenging conventional thinking by transforming organic waste into valuable agricultural products, demonstrating how science, sustainability and entrepreneurship can work together to build a more resilient food system.
At the heart of her work is a simple but ambitious belief: Africa’s food future will not be secured by producing more alone, but by making better use of the resources that already exist.
Through Awtside, Chidera is pioneering a circular bioeconomy model that converts organic waste into high protein animal feed ingredients and nutrient rich organic fertiliser, creating environmental, agricultural and economic value from materials that would otherwise end up in landfills.
The inspiration behind Awtside emerged long before the company itself.
Following her Master’s degree in Cell Biology and Genetics, Chidera’s research focused on the genetic diversity of Bambara groundnut, one of Africa’s oldest indigenous crops. As she explored food systems more deeply, she became increasingly concerned by a paradox that continues to shape global agriculture.
Don’t Miss This:
Reason Nmerengwa: Building Ecosystems That Prepare Young Africans for Life Beyond Graduation
While the world relies heavily on a small number of staple crops, thousands of edible plant species remain underutilised. At the same time, enormous quantities of food are discarded each year despite millions of people facing food insecurity.
Rather than seeing these as separate challenges, she recognised them as symptoms of the same fragile food system.
That realisation became the foundation upon which Awtside was built.
Even the company’s name reflects its philosophy. Derived from the word “outside,” with the letters “Aw” taken from her surname, Awurum, Awtside represents the belief that meaningful innovation often begins outside conventional thinking. It is a reminder that what society labels as waste can become a valuable resource when viewed through a different lens.
Today, that philosophy is being put into practice through the company’s pilot operation in Ajah, Lagos.
Using Black Soldier Fly bioconversion, Awtside collects organic waste from farms, open markets, food processing businesses and hospitality establishments before converting it into commercially valuable agricultural products.
Instead of allowing organic waste to decompose in landfills and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, the company redirects those materials into productive use, supporting both environmental sustainability and agricultural productivity.
For Chidera, the model demonstrates that commercial success and environmental responsibility do not have to compete with one another. They can reinforce each other.
While the pilot project continues to validate the model, Awtside is already preparing for its next phase of growth. The company has secured twenty plots of land in Epe, Lagos State, strategically positioned within one of Nigeria’s major aquaculture corridors.
The location provides access to a growing market for sustainable feed ingredients while creating the capacity required for future expansion.
Yet insect bioconversion represents only the beginning of a much broader vision.
Drawing on her academic background in plant genetics, Chidera hopes to build an integrated circular bioeconomy that also supports the revival of resilient indigenous African crops such as Bambara groundnut.
By combining regenerative agriculture, biological innovation and locally relevant food systems, she believes Africa can unlock entirely new agricultural value chains while strengthening food security across the continent.
Although Awtside’s work aligns naturally with global priorities including Zero Hunger, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action and Decent Work, Chidera is clear that sustainability alone is not enough.
She believes lasting impact depends on commercial viability.
“A sustainability project that can’t sustain itself isn’t a solution,” she says. “It’s a pilot that disappears when the funding stops.”
That philosophy continues to shape every stage of the company’s development. Rather than pursuing rapid expansion before validating the model, Awtside remains focused on refining its operations, collecting organic waste, producing animal feed ingredients and organic fertiliser, and demonstrating that circular agriculture can succeed at a commercial scale.
Looking ahead, Chidera envisions a future where waste is no longer viewed as a disposal problem but as an essential resource within Africa’s agricultural economy.
She believes the continent’s next agricultural transformation will depend not only on increasing production but also on recovering value from materials that have long been overlooked.
Through Awtside International Ltd., she is proving that innovation sometimes begins by asking a different question. In a country where millions of tonnes of food are discarded each year while millions continue to experience food insecurity, Chidera Awurum Makinde is building a future where yesterday’s waste becomes tomorrow’s opportunity, demonstrating that some of Africa’s most transformative solutions may already be within reach, waiting to be reimagined.
Don’t Miss This:
Gospel Omotosho: Driving Global Fintech Growth Through Data, Trust and Customer Impact
