By Daniel Tyokua
The minister of State for FCT, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, has disclosed that the administration spends about N8 billion annually to manage waste in the Federal Capital City (FCC) and the satellite towns.
She stated that the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) spends an average of N6 billion annually, while the Satellite Towns Development Department (STDD) spends N2 billion annually bringing the total sum of N8 billion to pay over 64 cleaning contractors engaged in the management of waste within the nation’s capital.
The minister revealed this at the maiden edition of the Annual General Meeting/Induction of Waste Management Association of Nigeria (WAMASON), FCT Council.
She called on communities to adopt sustainable waste management practices, which include sorting at source, composting of organic waste for horti-cultural/agricultural purposes amongst others.
Speaking on the theme: “Waste Management in a Circular Economy: Financing, Stakeholders Engagement and Enforcement”, the minister advocated for the transition to circular economy model for sustainable growth and development in Nigeria.
The minister who was represented by the Director, Environmental Services, Satellite Towns Development Department ( STDD) Mr. Olusegun Olusa, said that there in circular economy, virtually nothing is discarded, stressing that products and materials are kept in circulation for as long as possible by designing them to be more durable, reusable, repairable and recyclable.
“It is clear that waste management is a cross-cutting environmental issue, impacting many aspects of our society and the economy. It has strong linkages to a range of other global challenges such as health, food and resource security, sustainable consumption and production, climate change and poverty reduction,” she affirmed.
According to the minister, the FCT Administration has been working assiduously in ensuring that new opportunities for sustainable growth are provided through increased budgetary provisions in waste management related services.
The minister, therefore, called for synergy and understanding between the government and the private sector in ensuring effective and profitable waste management, just as she pledged the administration’s commitment in providing the necessary legal framework that guarantees return on investment for service delivery.
In her presentation of 2016 to 2021 FCT Council report, the Councillor, Waste Management Association of Nigeria, Mrs. Kitan Oluwagbuyi, noted that despite the numerous challenges facing waste managers in the city, the association has collaborated with tertiary institutions across the country to organise workshop and mentorship on opportunities in waste management and sustainable development.
She also stated that in 2020 the association has set up recycling centres in 20 schools across the Federal Capital Territory, and 5 collection hub centres in collaboration with a member recycler-chanjadatti under a UNDP assisted fund.
