LocationsA new Lifeline: How Briquette-Making is Empowering Women in Gwoza Community.
May 7, 2025
Fanta Ahmadina Ahmed
For quite a number of women in Gwoza community, Borno State, briquette-making has become a lifeline, providing them with a safer, more sustainable alternatives to firewood, while offering them vital livelihood opportunites. In the face of growing insecurity, environmental degradation, and economic hardship, this simple but powerful solution is creating real change. In conflict-affected communities like Gwoza, women are using briquettes not just to cook, but to rebuild their lives, and support their families after the devastating impact of crisis.
The conflict in Northeast Nigeria has severely disrupted daily life in the region. Among the many challenges facing affected communities, access to safe and affordable cooking fuel remains critical. While firewood was traditionally collected from surrounding forests, insecurity has made this dangerous, particularly for women and girls. As they venture farther from home in search of fuel, with alternatives like kerosene and charcoal being scarce and expensive, they face increased risk of abduction, sexual exploitation and gender-based violence from insurgents.
This reality prompted the women’s subgroup under the Community Stabilization Committee, led by Fanta Ahmadina Ahmed, to seek support.
“We reached out to UNDP because women were suffering,” Fanta explains. “Some are widows, mothers, and caregivers with no means to survive. We did our own research and concluded that briquette-making would be a good solution, it provides livelihood opportunities, and it’s safe for women and girls to practice”.
Fanta Ahmadina Ahmed
In response to the community's call for support, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), through the Regional Stabilization Facility, introduced the briquette-making initiative, specifically designed to address Gwoza women’s economic, environmental, and safety concerns. The initiative provided hands-on training, startup kits, and cash grants to help women set up their own briquette businesses. Participants learned to convert agricultural and kitchen waste into clean, affordable fuel, offering not just a source of income, but a safer alternative to firewood collection and saving the environment from deforestation.
"The most important thing about briquette making is that it is made from waste and does not require a lot of capital," notes Fanta. "You can start it from gathering wastes, for example, kitchen waste, farm waste, and other forms of waste. The process is very simple."
The economic transformation for women has been remarkable. Aisha Adamu, one of the beneficiaries, makes about Five Hundred Thousand Naira (approximately USD 400) monthly from selling briquettes.
"Upon our return to Gwoza, after our town became safe again, we had nothing to start with," Aisha recalls. "Many of us lost our husbands to the crisis, and starting over from scratch with children to feed was difficult. I was a tailor before, but I lost everything. With the introduction of this initiative, I’ve regained my confidence, and bounced back even stronger”
From the profit Aisha made from selling briquettes, she started a poultry business, with profits totalling nearly One Million, Seven Hundred Thousand Naira, in less than a year of kickstarting the business. Currently, she is offering free training on briquette production to other women and young people in the community.
For Aisha Yusuf, another participant, the profit made from briquette sales have boosted her capital for her other business which is selling of dry grains like rice, maize, and beans. "I even managed to purchase land from the profit I made from briquette sales," she proudly shares.
Fanta Ahmadina Ahmed
While challenges exits such as access to raw materials and markets, the initiative demonstrates what’s possible when recovery is community-led. With over 500 women trained, this initative is proving that even in the hardest-hit communities, hope can be rebuilt when given the right opportunity and support. One of the most remarkable aspects of the initiative is the sense of unity it fosters; a network of women supporting each other to grow and succeed.
As the program continues to scale, with participants training others in their communities, its impact multiplies. UNDP and partners remain committed to expanding the initiative and ensuring its sustainability. The goal is clear: to empower conflict-affected communities not just to survive, but to thrive, and build back better.
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