Nasarawa Gets New Waste Management Policy 29 Years After Creation

Nasarawa State has adopted a new Integrated Waste Management Policy, 29 years after its creation, to tackle indiscriminate dumping, flooding and public health challenges.

The policy document was presented at the State Secretariat, Lafia, by the Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP) to the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.
Presenting the document, the executive director of GIFSEP, Dr Michael Terungwa David, said the policy was developed after extensive consultations and technical engagements with stakeholders across the 13 local government areas of the state.

According to him, the policy seeks to move the state away from the outdated “collect, transport and dump” system to a circular economy model that promotes waste prevention, segregation at source, recycling, composting, resource recovery and waste-to-wealth initiatives.

He said the document provides a comprehensive framework for municipal solid waste, faecal sludge, industrial and mining waste, agricultural and biomass waste, as well as healthcare and biohazardous waste.

“This policy also addresses critical areas such as regulation, private-sector participation, improved infrastructure, environmental safeguards, enforcement and community participation,” he said.

He described the policy as a practical roadmap for a cleaner, healthier and more economically viable Nasarawa State, warning that without political will and diligent implementation, it would remain on paper.

“For GIFSEP, this assignment is not simply about producing a policy document. It is about creating a practical roadmap for a cleaner, healthier and more economically productive Nasarawa State. Without adoption and implementation, this policy will remain a piece of paper,” he said.

He commended the ministry for its leadership and thanked the United Nations Development Programme-GEF Small Grants Programme for funding the initiative.

Receiving the policy, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Barrister Ede Yakubu, who stood in for the Commissioner, Dr. Margaret Elayo, said the policy ends the era of treating waste as someone else’s problem.

Yakubu said indiscriminate dumping had caused flooding, disease and economic loss, adding that the new policy is built on four pillars of responsibility, standards, opportunity and protection.

He said it aims to stop open dumping, keep drainages free of refuse, encourage private investment in recycling and landfills, enforce the polluter-pays principle and create green jobs for youths.

He assured that government would gazette and enforce the policy, but stressed that it cannot succeed without the support of councils, private investors, citizens and the media.

Meanwhile, David appealed to Governor Abdullahi Sule to sign into law the Nasarawa State Climate Change Bill passed by the State House of Assembly in October 2025.

He said the appeal became urgent following flash floods that submerged parts of Lafia on Wednesday.

“We want to call on the State Governor to sign into law the Nasarawa State Climate Change Policy Bill which was passed in October 2025. The flash floods experienced in Lafia today call for urgent climate action. The passage of the law will be another legacy project by His Excellency,” he added.