NL x Nigeria: Building the Future of Circular Bioeconomy & Waste Management
August 01, 2025
From 21 to 25 July 2025, a high-level Nigerian delegation visited the Netherlands for a multi-day programme focused on circular bioeconomy, waste management, and waste-to-energy. The programme was organised by Holland Circular Hotspot (content lead and co-organiser), in collaboration with the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), the Dutch Consulate in Lagos, and the Circular Business Platform Lagos.
The mission brought together representatives from Nigerian state governments, the private sector, and knowledge institutions, and facilitated direct engagement with Dutch innovators and practitioners active in circular and sustainable sectors.
The mission was designed around two thematic tracks: circular bioeconomy and waste management/waste-to-energy. Both tracks included technical site visits, interactive workshops, and opportunities for peer-to-peer learning. Discussions throughout the programme focused on identifying scalable solutions, exploring cross-border collaboration, and translating insights into actionable partnerships.
Circular Bioeconomy Track
Participants in the bioeconomy track were introduced to Dutch initiatives at the intersection of agriculture, food systems, and biomass innovation. Site visits included:
-
Food-X (Ede): A regional innovation hub featuring startups and scale-ups such as De Heus, CarboCulture, Delphy, Ecosystem Navigators, and Foodvalley NL.
-
Natural Fibre Application Center (Raamsdonksveer): A centre specialising in the application of natural fibres for bio-based and circular materials.
-
Rotterzwam & Vet & Lazy (Rotterdam): Enterprises working with organic waste streams, including mushroom farming on coffee grounds and circular brewing.
Waste Management & Waste-to-Energy Track
The waste track focused on the Dutch approach to urban and regional waste management, showcasing systems for collection, sorting, processing, and energy recovery. Key visits included:
-
Despray Environmental Technology (Almelo): A facility specialising in aerosol can recycling and advanced machinery for hazardous waste treatment.
-
Meerlanden (Rijssenhout): A public waste management facility integrating innovation in logistics, waste separation, and citizen involvement.
-
HVC Alkmaar: A public utility operating advanced waste-to-energy systems and district heating networks.
Joint Activities and Programme Highlights
Several programme elements brought both tracks together for shared learning:
-
The Waste Transformers (Amsterdam area): Both groups visited this Dutch company offering decentralised waste-to-energy units that turn organic waste into electricity. These modular systems are particularly relevant for localised applications in Nigeria.
-
Floating Farm (Rotterdam): An urban floating dairy farm producing fresh milk within the city port area. The farm demonstrates closed-loop food production and circular water and nutrient cycles.
-
BlueCity (Rotterdam): A well-known circular economy hub housed in a repurposed swimming pool, home to entrepreneurs working with residual streams, design innovation, and new business models.