By Daniel Aondoaseer Zendesha

For Mercy Msenhemba Atsuku, the journey from collecting firewood in Logo LGA, Benue State, to exploring biogas technology has become a story about finding solutions to everyday challenges.

What began as a personal experience with firewood dependence has grown into a wider campaign for clean cooking, waste management, sustainable energy and community innovation.

Her journey eventually led her to Baban Wondo in Plateau State, where she first began working with biogas technology.

Today, through Green Matic and the Samuel Aondoaver Yamsa Green Future Initiative, Atsuku is promoting the possibility of converting suitable organic waste into biogas for cooking, while creating potential agricultural benefits from the resulting material.

A seven-day conversation about clean energy
Over the past seven days, Benue Info-pedia has followed Atsuku’s story from different angles.

The series examined her childhood experience with firewood, her entry into biogas technology, the potential of organic waste as an energy resource, the role of women in clean-energy innovation and what such technologies could mean for communities in Benue and beyond.

At the centre of the story is a simple idea:

A problem can become an opportunity when people are willing to search for solutions.

For Atsuku, firewood dependence was not simply an environmental issue. She says her childhood experiences exposed her to the physical burden and safety concerns associated with collecting firewood.

Those experiences eventually motivated her to search for alternatives.

Why the story matters to Benue
Benue is widely known for its agricultural activities, meaning communities generate significant quantities of organic materials.

The possibility of responsibly using some of these materials for energy production raises important questions about the relationship between agriculture, waste management and clean cooking.

Biogas is not a universal answer to Nigeria’s energy challenges, and its adoption can depend on cost, technical capacity, feedstock availability, maintenance and community needs.

But the technology represents one of several options worth examining as communities search for cleaner and more sustainable energy sources.

Putting women and young people at the centre
Atsuku's story also highlights the importance of including women and young people in the clean-energy sector.

She wants more women to acquire skills in areas such as biodigester fabrication, maintenance and waste management.

If supported with appropriate training and opportunities, such skills could create pathways into entrepreneurship, technical employment and community-based innovation.

Her message is particularly relevant to young people who may see difficult circumstances as limitations rather than starting points for innovation.
Her own journey shows a different possibility.

After NYSC, she says she turned down a bank job and another opportunity with an NGO before pursuing her interest in alternative cooking energy.
A video about biogas technology in India helped spark that interest.
She began researching, experimenting and learning through trial and error.

The documentary behind the story
Atsuku's 20-minute, 14-second documentary brings these experiences together.

It explores biogas, clean cooking and the conversion of organic waste into energy and fertilizer, while highlighting the challenges associated with dependence on firewood.

The documentary was shot by Visionary Legacies Charity Foundation.

Its intended audience includes the Benue State Government, communities, women, young people, policymakers and the wider public.

The goal is not simply to promote one technology, but to encourage a conversation about practical approaches to clean cooking and sustainable development.

What comes next?
The end of this seven-day series does not have to be the end of the conversation.

For policymakers, development organisations, researchers, businesses and communities, Atsuku's story raises issues that deserve further examination:

Can clean-cooking technologies become more accessible to rural households?

Can organic waste be managed more effectively?

Can women and young people be trained for opportunities in the clean-energy sector?

Can local innovators receive the support needed to test and scale appropriate technologies?

What role can biogas and other renewable-energy solutions play in Benue's future?

There are no simple answers.

But asking the right questions is an important starting point.

A story that began with firewood
Mercy Atsuku's journey began with a familiar challenge: the need to find cooking energy.

Today, she is exploring a different possibility—one where communities can look at organic waste not only as something to discard, but as a potential resource.

Her story is ultimately about experience, innovation and the search for practical solutions.

And perhaps its most important message is simple:
The challenges communities face can also inspire the solutions they need.

🎥 Watch the full documentary: https://youtu.be/3mIXXv5xLcU?si=62tj-WtS5LDg82ds

📖 Read the complete 7-day series: Day 1: https://benueinfo.com/article/from-firewood-to-biogas-how-benue-woman-mercy-atsuku-is-turning-waste-into-clean-energy?utm_source=copy_link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=article_share
Day 2: https://benueinfo.com/article/the-hidden-cost-of-firewood-why-mercy-atsuku-is-searching-for-cleaner-cooking-solutions?utm_source=copy_link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=article_share
Day 3: https://benueinfo.com/article/biogas-explained-how-mercy-atsuku-is-turning-organic-waste-into-clean-cooking-energy?utm_source=copy_link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=article_share
Day 4: https://benueinfo.com/article/from-waste-to-energy-how-mercy-atsuku-is-promoting-biogas-and-clean-cooking?utm_source=copy_link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=article_share
Day 5:
https://benueinfo.com/article/mercy-atsuku-why-more-women-should-be-part-of-nigerias-clean-energy-future?utm_source=copy_link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=article_share
Day 6: https://benueinfo.com/article/mercy-atsukus-clean-energy-vision-can-biogas-help-build-a-sustainable-future-for-benue?utm_source=copy_link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=article_share

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