- As Lagos Waste Forum holds
By Adeola Ogunlade
An environmental development expert and former Commissioner for Environment, Ogun State, Mr Ola Oresanya has said that Nigeria loses N10 billion annually from unorganised and unregulated plastic recovery management system.
Oresanya said this at the ongoing fourth edition of Lagos Waste Forum, a high-level citizens forum on waste reduction and management which took place at NECA House, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos. The event is put together by SWEEP Foundation
Tagged ‘Investing in Plastics Recovery Towards a Circular Economy’ brought together industry players, government representatives, civil society groups, multinationals, International Labor Organisation (ILO), among others. The event also witnessed the award of sustainability to some organisation including: Trashcon, Recycle Edge, Association of Carton and Waste Recycling Dealers of Nigeria, Association of Scraps and Waste Pickers of Lagos (ASWOL), and others.
Oresanya lamented that Nigerians were yet to unlock the economic potentials in plastic waste recycling.
According to him, Nigeria generate 12 million tons of plastics every year and one ton of plastics mobbed cost N250,000 to N300, 000 whereas in the international market, it could be sold at N1.2million to N1.5million. He stressed that there is so much money to be made and employment to be generated if we can deplore new economic model that will unlock the potentials in waste management.
He noted that the viability of the plastic recovery is so elastic and can accommodate every investor as much as possible. Nigeria, can make N16 billion annually but in the last two years, we have only made an annual income of N6 billion from plastic recycling.
Oresanya noted that Nigerians had been traveling outside the country in search of greener pastures while abandoning huge opportunities in plastic recycling, saying in Ogun State alone, there are a lot of companies which are into plastic recycling manned by Asians, regretting that Nigerians were merely waste collectors.
“Asians are taking over recycling business opportunities in the country whereas our youths are going out in search of jobs. In Ogun State alone, there are so many recycling plants which recycle at least 1000 times of wastes daily with huge amounts running into millions of naira accrued”.
The former commissioner added “these are done by Asians who have mastered the art over the years with competence”.
He posited that some Nigerians are just comfortable with being collectors.
Earlier, the President and convener of Lagos Waste Forum, Ambassador Obuesi Phillips, said it was high time all hands are on deck to control pollution through effective waste management.
Obuesi said “Because we have a shared future, it is now urgently necessary to collectively control pollution through waste management.
“But how do we control pollution and by extension manage wastes if there is no collective investment in adaptation and mitigation?
“Open conversations, information and resource sharing as well as sustained advocacy are necessary fertile grounds to drive anticipated investments in pollution control,” he said.
The Director, Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability, Coca Cola, Mrs. Amaka Onyemelukwe, called for increase government support to enable policy that is fair and enable standardization in the plastic recovery chain.
She noted that Cocacola has spent N5 billion in value chain and has increased its plastic recovery measures in parts of the country, adding that the need for more collection centres is key. Government has a lot of free spaces which can be converted into collection centres for players in the industry.
On his own, the Director of Circular Economy, Lagos State Wastes Management Authority (LAWMA), Dr. Essien Nsuabia said the issue of recycling and waste management is one his agency is not taking lightly.
While commending Lagos Waste Forum for the event, Nsuabia said LAWMA has established two collection points in Lagos and efforts are ongoing to institute 20 collection points in Lagos, reiterating government’s commitment toward a clean and safe environment for all Lagosians.