Livestock waste can become a source of renewable energy when the right technology is applied. That possibility is at the heart of an innovation developed by Covenant Awoyemi, a Nigerian university student whose work has earned international recognition in London.
Awoyemi, a 400-level Nursing student at Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ogun State, won the Best Research Innovation of the Year award at the NextGen Innovation Challenge 2026 Grand Finale, held in the United Kingdom from October 7 to 11, 2026.
Her innovation is a biodigester appliance designed to convert livestock waste into biogas, which can be used for cooking and other energy needs. The concept brings together two practical concerns; finding productive uses for animal waste and exploring renewable alternatives to conventional energy sources.
The award followed a selection process that took her from a national innovation programme in Nigeria to an international competition in London. Before reaching the final, Awoyemi represented Ogun State at the National Showcase in Abuja, where she competed alongside more than 2,900 participants.
Her performance in the national programme earned her a place among the 70 candidates shortlisted for the London grand finale. She subsequently emerged as the recipient of the research innovation award, distinguishing herself in a field drawn from a much larger pool of aspiring innovators.
The choice of livestock waste as the focus of her project gives the innovation a practical environmental dimension. Animal waste is a potential input for biogas production, a process that can generate usable energy while providing an alternative approach to managing organic waste. Awoyemi's proposed appliance is built around that principle.
Her achievement is also noteworthy against the backdrop of her academic discipline. As a nursing student, Awoyemi has pursued an idea that reaches beyond the immediate boundaries of healthcare education, demonstrating an interest in applying innovation to an environmental and energy challenge.
The journey from a national showcase involving thousands of participants to a final featuring 70 shortlisted candidates reflects the competitive path behind her recognition. It also places attention on the ideas emerging from Nigeria's universities, where students can contribute to challenges that extend beyond their immediate fields of study.
The award marks an international accomplishment for Olabisi Onabanjo University by one of its undergraduates and for Awoyemi, it brings recognition to a project seeking to make livestock waste useful in a different way. Her success at the NextGen Innovation Challenge 2026 has now given that idea an international platform and placed a Nigerian student among the competition's recognised innovators.
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