How human waste could power Nigeria’s slums

In the crowded slums of Lagos, Nigeria, untreated sewage mingles with the chaotic network of pipes that deliver water to the city. Those who can’t afford a local borehole or a private vendor know better than to take their chances with the taps, most preferring to go thirsty instead.

That’s according to Olatunbosun Obayomi, a Lagos microbiologist and inventor who has lived in the city all his life.

But now Obayomi thinks he’s found a solution, one that not only tackles the slums’ sanitation issues, but creates free, clean energy in the process.

“The idea of turning waste into energy has been around for centuries. My innovation is simply applying the chemistry in a practical way by using the resources we already have,” he explained.

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