Yobe Govt, UNDP Partner To Revamp Waste Management In Damaturu

The Yobe State Government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have commenced moves to strengthen waste management in Damaturu, with plans to expand doorstep waste collection and improve the capacity of informal waste collectors.

The initiative was unveiled at a Consultative Stakeholder Workshop on Enhancing Waste Management Capacities in Yobe State, organised by the Yobe State Government and UNDP with support from the Yobe Solutions for Internally Displaced Persons and Host Communities (SOLID) Project.

The workshop, held at Briskpoint Hotel, Damaturu, brought together relevant government institutions, development partners, waste management stakeholders and other key actors including traditional and religious leaders to examine the existing waste management situation and identify practical measures for improving the system.

Declaring the workshop open in Damaturu, the Secretary to the Yobe State Government, Dr Mohammed Goje, stressed the importance of effective waste management to public health, environmental sanitation and the wellbeing of residents.

Speaking at the workshop, Ismail Bukar of UNDP said the intervention falls under Activity 4.2 of the Japan-funded project, “Accelerating Recovery of Affected Communities from Security and Humanitarian Crises in Northeast.”

He said UNDP would support the Yobe State Government to expand doorstep waste collection in Damaturu by upgrading informal pushcart waste collectors with electric collection tricycles under an earned-ownership model.

Bukar added that the intervention would be complemented by a public awareness and behaviour change campaign to encourage residents to adopt better waste disposal practices.
He said the approach would not only improve waste collection but also strengthen the livelihoods of informal waste collectors by equipping them with more efficient tools.

A major highlight of the workshop was a presentation by the SOLID Project Coordinator, Alhaji Suleiman Dauda, on the findings of the project’s assessment of the Enhanced Integrated Waste Management System in Damaturu.

The assessment, which focused on the state capital, provided an evidence-based overview of the existing waste management situation and is expected to serve as a basis for identifying priority areas for intervention.