By Fabian Ekeruche
The Lagos State Government is partnering the United Nation Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) to advocate and deepen the value chain in circular economy.
The General Manager, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Dr Dolapo Fasawe, said this at a circular economy workshop held on Tuesday in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the workshop was:
“Promoting Sustainable Plastic Value Chains through Circular Economy Practices.”
Fasawe said the partnership was targeted at a paradigm shift from a linear economy to a circular economy.
She added that the workshop on circular economy was in partnership with UNIDO, Lagos State and the Federal Government.
Fasawe said the collaboration at the state government end was among the agencies under the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources and the Organised Private Sector.
She said that the circular economy advocacy involves sensitising the public on the benefits of plastic waste.
“The truth is Nigeria by 2025 will be the largest producer of plastic waste.
“We need to step up our activities in recycling and circular economy.
“Once a plastic is used, it should not just be deposited anywhere.
“It can be reused, recycled, and reduced to something else. This is because plastic is not degradable.
“And when we say economics and plastic, it means that there’s a lot of money that can be made out of plastic waste,” she said.
Fasawe said that a study by the World Bank few years ago disclosed that Lagos State was losing about seven billion dollars annually for not embracing circular economy.
“We are losing seven billion dollars annually; and the essence of this conference is to invite investors, and people to join us in this advocacy for recycling, reusing and creating industries, jobs, and more importantly a cleaner environment.
“You will not see these plastics on the road again, if we put this approach of circular economy on plastic waste,” Fasawe said.
Also speaking, Mr Oluyomi Banjo, UNIDO National Programme Coordinator, said UNIDO was pleased to work with Lagos State, which is one of the biggest city not only in Nigeria, but in Africa.
Banjo said that achieving circular circular economy in Lagos was very important because it would set the stage for other states in Nigeria and other regions in Africa.
He said that to achieve the aim of the project, Lagos state must develop plastics action plan on circular economy.
“We will bring everybody together to sensitise them on what circular economy is all about; the benefits to the environment, socially and economically.
“We will work with the private sector to be more productive and efficient to make more profit.
”We will also look at the informal sector to see how we can incorporate them in achieving this, knowing that we cannot achieve this without the informal sector,” Banjo said.
The Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Mr Ibrahim Odumboni said the state government had done a lot in promoting the reuse and recycling of plastics.
Odumboni said that LAWMA was partnering Polysmart, one of the largest plastic recyclers in Africa, on converting tonnes of plastic waste in the state to re-useable products.
He said the authority was enforcing the policy of adopt-a-bin among residents to inculcate the value of waste separation at source.
He said that LASEPA, LAWMA and some other state agencies had banned single use of plastics in their offices to lead by example.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tunji Bello, expressed gratitude to the UNIDO delegation for partnering with the state government on circular economy.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Office of Environmental Services Dr Omobolaji Gaji, Bello pledged the support of the state government in ensuring success of the project.(NAN)
