Waste conversion remains elusive as Nigeria struggles to tap into recycling economy

Plastic waste management presents a golden chance for economic empowerment. In this report, PRINCESS ETUK examines the challenges in the sector and the missed opportunities for recycling economic ventures in Nigeria

Being one of the world’s most polluted countries, Nigeria faces the challenge of improper waste disposal and management. Nonetheless, its substantial waste volume presents opportunities for circular economic ventures. However, only about 20-30 per cent of solid waste is collected and managed correctly in Nigeria. As a consequence, some parts of the country are uninhabitable, and serious health hazards such as Malaria spread more easily.

While some countries are advancing towards recycling solutions, Nigeria faces numerous and complex challenges in transitioning to a recycling economy. These include inadequate infrastructure, limited awareness, insufficient funding, weak regulations, and a lack of collaboration.

The latest trend in waste management is waste-to-wealth, encompassing the repurposing and recycling of waste. This approach is effective for environmental protection, enhancing health, addressing climate change, promoting development, improving livelihoods, advancing quality education, and ensuring gender equality, among other benefits.
The per capita municipal solid waste generation rate in Nigeria is estimated at 0.55–0.58 kg or roughly 36 million tons of waste per annum. The proportion of waste collected averages 50–80 per cent of generated waste with generated waste often exceeding collected waste.

Studies show that only 40 per cent of the daily-generated waste is being cleared in Abuja, thus resulting in a waste build-up in the city. The same scenario plays out in other major cities like Aba, Benin City, Enugu, Kano, Makurdi, Maiduguri, Nsukka, Onitsha, and Uyo. The waste management practice in Nigeria is poor,  marked by high rates of waste generation and inadequate management practices.

Annually, Nigeria produces an estimated 32 million tons of solid waste, but only 20-30 per cent of this amount is properly collected and managed. The rest is either dumped in unauthorized locations or burned, which exacerbates pollution and poses significant health risks.
Leading Nigeria’s Recyclers Association as its first female president is the founder of Ecobarter, Rita Idehai, who is involved in innovating strategies that go beyond recycling to include comprehensive waste collection and transformation initiatives.

Speaking on her passion for effective waste management practices, she stated, “I am one hundred per cent leading Nigeria’s transition to a recycling economy and a sustainable waste management system. Aside from just recycling, my business has evolved into the collection of general waste. It’s not just saying, ‘oh, people should recycle,’ but ensuring that even non-recyclable waste finds value. We promote responsible dumping by taking waste to official dumpsites instead of the streets.”

Idehai’s enterprise, Ecobarter, has set itself apart by its comprehensive approach to waste management. One of Idehai’s notable innovations is finding alternative uses for single-use plastic bags. “In 2018, we created a scheme where we took plastic bags and trained internally displaced women to weave them into fabrics, extending their life by another 10 years as bags, shoes, or mats. This was a large-scale initiative in Nigeria and now others are following suit,’’ she revealed.

Mrs. Treasure Obina, one of Ecobarter’s beneficiaries, shared her journey of resilience and empowerment. “It’s not been long since I got to know about Ecobarter, and ever since I’ve known them, they have been a great help to me,” she said.

When Obina faced challenges paying for her rent and her child’s school fees, Ecobarter stepped in, providing the funds she needed to keep her family secure.

“By the grace of God, I’m always paying it off with the money I got from here. They have been a great help to me,” she disclosed.

Obina previously worked as a private school teacher with a modest monthly income. The opportunity with Ecobarter offered her a new career path and greater financial flexibility.
“I decided to join instead of seeking another job. Though we don’t earn monthly; we earn per weave. It depends on your ability,” she explained. “If you’re able to weave only two yards in a month, that is what you get paid for. By the grace of God, I’ve been doing well, and they have been responding positively.”

She believes there is more potential for growth with the right support. “The government can help and empower the women here,” she suggested. “We all have families. If we can be encouraged by the masses or the government, I believe that will also encourage other women…and the women here are being empowered, some people out there will see it and they would want to come close to know what is happening and partake of it.”

For Asmau Adamu, another participant, Ecobarter has been transformative for her and her family.

“This training has improved my life and my family very well because I make something from this Ecobarter,” she said.

“I help myself and my children from this. I have been able to get money from this eco-barter to buy a fridge and buy gas.” She expressed gratitude for the opportunity but noted that the limited number of looms can slow production. “Sometimes the loom gives us small challenges, because we are more than the number of the loom available.”

Safiat Idris, a housewife who had previously struggled with finding work, says Ecobarter has given her a sense of purpose and direction.

“I’m a complete housewife, this training has changed my life. As a housewife, I’ve not had anything to do. It has made me busy, not like before that I was doing nothing,” she stated.
“What we need from the government is more looms because sometimes the thread we use cuts. We also need government to help us because many women like us want to find something to empower themselves, but they don’t know how to go about it.”

Embracing technology, Ecobarter uses a mobile application to streamline waste collection.

“Our mobile app is probably the only one that is active. It operates in Abuja, Lagos, and now Kano, Kaduna, and Ibadan. Users can request pick-up from anywhere and access a collector nearby,” said Idehai.

Despite the achievements, Idehai highlights the challenges posed by the informal waste sector.

“There’s an organised system, but it doesn’t always appear organised. Waste pickers on the streets belong to clusters managed by a hierarchy of leaders. Direct management attempts have proven disastrous, so we work within their existing structure,” she noted.
Addressing Nigeria’s waste management issues, Idehai pointed out the environmental and health impacts.

“Nigeria contributes the third-largest greenhouse gas emissions due to improper waste management. Burning waste in uncontrolled environments and leachate from dumpsites contaminates groundwater and contribute to flooding,” she explained. “Our efforts reduce environmental effects, flood risks, and the volume of waste needing to be burned.”
Public education and policy enforcement are crucial, Idehai emphasised, noting, “Public education and behavioural change are major parts of our work. We need policies encouraging recycling and recyclers, and penalties for indiscriminate dumping. Current policies exist but lack enforcement. Companies involved in recycling often do so voluntarily, driven by global pressures rather than local enforcement.”

Idehai called for government action and looking ahead, envisions a country where waste is transformed into valuable resources. “We see mobile applications, automated collections, and heavy investments in factories turning waste into energy. However, I fear that these advancements will be foreign-owned,” she concluded.

In July 2021, the Federal Executive Council approved a Solid Waste Management Policy aimed at enhancing cleanliness nationwide and promoting waste-to-wealth initiatives. However, the policy’s effectiveness hinges on the development of an implementable strategy involving federal, state, and local governments, alongside institutions, NGOs, ministries, departments, and agencies, for comprehensive participation.

Unfortunately, this proposal has not been accompanied by sufficient provisions such as funding and infrastructure to effectively manage the increasing volume of waste. As a result, the environment suffers.

Chairman of the Waste Pickers Collection Centre in Jabi Abuja, Adamu Salisu, is hoping for increased government support to enhance the sector.

“I am enjoying the work. I have been doing it for about 20 years now. I started as just a labourer, but today I am on my own. I have grown in the business,” Salisu shared.

Despite his progress, he acknowledged the lack of government assistance over the years. “We have been very hopeful that the government will help, but all these years, nothing has actually happened from the government. But we are confident that WAPAN, as our umbrella body, will be able to bring in support,” he added.
Salisu outlined several ways the government could aid the waste pickers and recyclers. “Government can help us with capital. They can help us with machines like crushing machines. The government can also help by giving us secured land because as we are now, they can come and tell us to move tomorrow. So if the government can give us a space for recyclers, it’ll help,” he pleaded.

Highlighting the operational challenges they face, Salisu pointed to the inconsistency of power supply. “As you can see, there’s no light. Once there is no light, there is no work because there is no generator, and even if we had a generator, the cost of diesel is too high.

“Sometimes for 10 days, there won’t be light and there won’t be work. If we don’t work, we cannot sell, so it’ll be very difficult to calculate what comes in. And the way we pay here is ‘pay as you work.”

Salisu emphasised the pressing needs of the sector. “We need funding, we need machines, we need a generator to power the machines and space. Once we have that, the business will go fine. So we are appealing to the government to help us.”

Nigeria acknowledges the impact of climate change on its vulnerable communities, yet little action has been taken to address it. Rising temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events endanger agriculture, water resources, and livelihoods, yet insufficient attention has been devoted to these challenges.

In advocacy for improved waste management in the country, an environmental activist and founder of Lekki Urban Forestry and Animal Shelter Initiative, Desmond Majekodunmi, is targeting plastic litter in keeping public spaces clean.

“I am promoting waste management and I am encouraging people to be recyclers. We have a park every day. There’s a lot of litter, particularly plastic litter. We ensure that we pick up the litter and then we separate it and ensure that credible recycling organisations take the plastic litter. Then we just collect a token fee,’’ Majekodunmi said.
The activist stressed the critical need to handle plastic waste responsibly to protect the environment. “What we do is we just kind of sensitize people about the purpose and necessity to ensure that we use plastic in a way that is less harmful to the environment because the environment is actually our life support system and we’re causing damage to our life support system. And this is a very, very serious matter to cause damage to what keeps you alive. It needs to be stopped, at least to be reduced,” he insisted.

He stressed the severe consequences of not recycling plastic, saying,  “Plastic when it is not recycled, causes a lot of damage. We just encourage everybody to be very, very careful about how they use plastic.”

Reflecting on the traditional waste management practices, Majekodunmi said, “The realisation of how important it is to manage waste far more effectively can be described as a ‘Calabash mentality.’ In days gone by, our waste was more natural, like using calabash for drinking and use of moi moi leaf. But now, it has changed. We need to break that mentality that we are no longer using natural items for our waste. The biggest challenge is the understanding of the need to do the right thing in a modern way.”

He also pointed out the increasing challenge posed by a growing population. while acknowledging some progress in Lagos, he emphasized the need for further improvements.

“In Lagos state, they are doing a pretty good job given the huge population, but very densely put together. So, they’re trying. The Ministry of Environment in Lagos is really trying but they need to do better. Then outside of Lagos, they need to do a lot better,’’ just as he advocated practical education and increased awareness in schools and homes.

The General Secretary of the Waste Pickers Association of Nigeria and founder of Waste 360 Nigeria Enterprise, Suleiman Adama, said he is on a mission to reshape public perception and enhance environmental sustainability.

Under his leadership, WAPAN aims to organize waste pickers into a responsible workforce, addressing the negative societal views that label them as “scavengers” or “drug addicts.”
Underscoring the crucial role waste pickers play in maintaining environmental cleanliness, Adama stated,  “We need to know the importance of the waste pickers. Despite all the negative perceptions that society has about them, the truth of the matter is about 70 per cent of land waste that you find around is picked by these waste pickers.

‘’So, you can imagine a situation where these guys are not there at all; you and I may not be able to come out of our streets from our homes, because the government is not able to meet up with the cleaning of the environment. So the waste pickers are performing a very important role, and that has been sustaining the environment.”