How I turned cocoa farm waste into water purification solution — UNIMED graduate

A University of Medical Sciences, Ondo State, physiotherapy graduate, Oluwatayo Ayodele, tells BIODUN BUSARI about his passion for innovation, how it inspired him to develop a cocoa pod-based solution for treating polluted water, and why he is pursuing a career in the technology space

What inspired you to study physiotherapy?

I initially wanted to study medicine and surgery. That was also what my parents wanted for me because my brother studied dentistry at Obafemi Awolowo University. Neither of my parents works in the medical field. My father studied electrical engineering, while my mother is a computer science teacher.

However, I have always been passionate about innovation. I loved creativity and thinking outside the box, even in secondary school. I won several awards for participating in innovation competitions and developing creative ideas.

In 2017, I was invited by the late Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, to receive an award for one of my innovations.

When I gained admission to the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo State, I was doing very well academically in medicine and surgery, with a cumulative grade point average of 4.91 out of 5.0. However, in my second year, I began to feel unfulfilled. I wanted a sense of purpose, and medicine was not giving me that. I then started looking for a course that would allow me to integrate innovation into healthcare. Physiotherapy offered that opportunity, so I switched to the course in my second year.

Did you consider any course that aligned with your passion for innovation before choosing medicine?

I wanted to study Biomedical Engineering at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, but the course was not available to me at the time. My reason for choosing it was to combine my parents’ preference for medicine with my passion for innovation.

I could not get the course at the University of Ibadan or Obafemi Awolowo University, which were my family’s preferred institutions. I later discovered that it was offered at the University of Lagos when I was already in my second year.

I discussed the idea with my parents and brother, but they insisted that I should study medicine. So, I settled for medicine at UNIMED before eventually switching to physiotherapy. I wanted to combine my academic pursuits with developing innovative ideas.

My parents preferred their children to study in Ibadan or Ile-Ife because we had extended family members in those cities. Besides, I could also study in Ondo, where we come from.

Did you discuss your passion for innovation with your parents?

I did not really discuss it with them because they already knew where my interests lay. Whenever I attended innovation and creativity boot camps, they were not particularly pleased. They wanted me to concentrate on my medical studies. There was even a time they became upset because I attended U-COHub lessons in my second year.

How did you come up with the UniThread EcoHusk innovation, which earned you an NBTI award in London?

The idea was to identify challenges in our communities and develop solutions to them. The project was sponsored by the British Council through its Innovation for African Universities programme.

I conceived the idea in my second year when I began examining the challenges facing cocoa farmers in my community. The programme exposed us to international challenges to test our ideation and problem-solving skills.

I was fortunate to participate in the Ericsson and Fishbowl Challenge in my first year, in 2022, although I did not make it past the first round.

In my second year, I examined the challenges facing cocoa farmers and identified a problem with the supply chain. The farmers worked hard but received only a tiny fraction of the value generated along the supply chain, about six per cent. I wanted to connect them directly with consumers abroad who needed their produce.

I developed an application called Cocoa World, which made it into the top five of the Fishbowl Challenge in 2023. That was also the year the UniThread EcoHusk project began.

How did the idea evolve into the innovation you eventually developed?

I was exploring ways to ensure that cocoa farmers earned more from their produce, but my initial approach did not yield the desired results. Nevertheless, I made it into the top five out of 87 nationalities that participated. Some of the judges’ observations inspired me to return to the drawing board.

In 2024, I learnt about the Wege Prize and submitted the idea again, but I did not make it beyond the second round.

By 2025, I was revisiting some of the research I had conducted on cocoa. While searching for relevant keywords and academic articles, I came across cocoa pods and began studying their properties.

I realised that the basic concept of a circular economy is to convert waste into useful resources. I noticed that cocoa pods were being dumped in heaps, making it difficult for plants to grow in those areas. When I spoke with farmers, they told me they burned the pods. This contributes to carbon emissions and environmental pollution, with implications for climate change. I then began to see cocoa pod waste as a resource that could be put to better use.

Research showed that the cocoa bean in each pod weighed about 0.25kg, while the husk weighed approximately 0.75kg. This meant that a significant proportion of the pod was discarded after the beans were extracted.

I conducted extensive research and consulted professors, mentors and judges from the Wege Prize. Through our collaboration, we explored materials such as cellulose and lignin and studied their properties. Eventually, we developed a way to use cocoa pod waste to treat polluted water.

How was the innovation received?

My knowledge of chemistry helped me understand that organic materials contain carbon. I realised that if we could subject the cocoa pod waste to pyrolysis, a chemical process that breaks down organic materials using high temperatures in an oxygen-free or low-oxygen environment, we could convert it into a useful material called biochar.

Biochar can be used to filter pollutants from wastewater. We validated our findings and sent our results to Ferris State University in Michigan, United States. The researchers examined them and were impressed.

Eventually, we advanced to the top five of the Wege Prize. It was historic for two reasons. First, it was the first time all five finalist teams came from Africa. Second, it was the first time all five Nigerian teams represented the country at that global competition.

The competition was supported by a $65,000 award from the MacArthur Foundation. Our team received $2,500 to improve its operations. The recognition also helped us secure additional funding from the National Climate Centre.

The experience opened up opportunities for us to explore taking our solution to market and making it available to cocoa farmers and textile producers.

Do you have any other innovations?

I co-invented EduSign AI, a platform designed to help deaf people understand information on social media through sign language and terminology familiar to them.

I started learning sign languages when I was 11. My interest began after my primary school organised an excursion to a school for children with disabilities. I became curious about how sign language was used to communicate with deaf people, so I developed an interest in learning American, British and Nigerian sign languages.

A few years ago, while taking a course on YouTube, I noticed that the sign language interpretations available were not adequately suited to the needs of deaf learners. Drawing on my knowledge of sign languages, I partnered with a schoolmate, Agunbiade Demilade, who studied computer science and understood the technical aspects of developing such a solution. The idea was mine, but we collaborated to develop EduSign AI.

We presented it at the 2026 African Engineering and Technology Network Innovation Challenge at the University of Lagos. The challenge was sponsored by a branch of AFRETEC and UNILAG.

I became familiar with the AFRETEC programme through the 2025 edition, where I presented another innovation called Rural Physio. That made me the first student to emerge as a finalist in both editions of the challenge in consecutive years.

For EduSign AI, we presented our solution and secured funding. The platform is designed to help deaf learners access digital skills courses on platforms such as Udemy, YouTube and Coursera through sign language.

I received a certificate and was invited to UNILAG for a three-day inclusion challenge, where I met facilitators and mentors. Afterwards, we were awarded a N500,000 grant to develop the idea and take it to market.

It was not just a Nigerian innovation challenge; it was a West African competition.

Are you going to practise physiotherapy?

Physiotherapy is a clinical practice that also requires innovation. So, I prefer to say that I will continue to solve healthcare problems through innovative ideas.

I am not necessarily thinking of conventional physiotherapy. I am more interested in an approach that allows me to be creative and apply technology to healthcare.

I plan to pursue a master’s degree, probably in biomedical engineering, which was my original ambition. Having spent years studying physiotherapy and examining healthcare from an innovation perspective, I believe Nigeria and Africa have a lot of ground to cover in technology, and I want to contribute to that development.

There are several technological tools that can improve physiotherapy. One example is the Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation machine, which uses electrical impulses to stimulate nerves and help manage pain. We need Nigerian innovators to develop and manufacture such devices locally rather than depend on imports.

What kind of books do you read?

I mostly read books written by entrepreneurs because I believe innovation is the first step towards entrepreneurship. I read widely and have been reading a book titled Do More With Less, which explores the 80/20 Principle, for the past two months.

I am inspired by quotes that remind us that little is gained from mediocre thinking. Books of that nature encourage me to think differently and pursue bigger ideas.

Who are your mentors?

I study the works of innovators such as Bill Gates, Elon Musk and Sam Altman. They are innovative thinkers whose ideas continue to shape the world.

In Nigeria, I follow the work and achievements of Stanley Anigbogu, founder of LightEd, who is transforming plastic and electronic waste into innovative solar-powered lighting solutions.

I recently read that his organisation secured about $1m in funding to expand its work. He has also received several international awards.

Another person I admire is Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, founder of start-ups such as Andela and Flutterwave. He has also made early investments in companies such as Moove. These innovators are a major source of inspiration to me.

How are your parents reacting to your achievements?

They are excited and supportive now. I remember that when I started developing these ideas in my early days at UNIMED, they were displeased. They felt I was losing sight of my priorities, but I was not deterred.

Now, they are beginning to see the results of my efforts. After my Fishbowl Challenge achievement, my school invited me for recognition, and my parents were present. They were emotional as the school celebrated me and awarded me N250,000. They congratulated me, and from that day, their perception began to change. They started giving me moral support.

When I travelled to the United Kingdom to receive recognition for my UniThread EcoHusk innovation, they were amazed. That experience completely changed their perception of my career path.

Today, they ask about my next innovations and how they can support me. They are also helping me explore opportunities to pursue a master’s degree abroad in biomedical engineering.