Stakeholders Urge Nasarawa To Adopt Waste-To-Wealth Policy

Stakeholders and environmental advocacy groups have urged the Nasarawa State Government to adopt a comprehensive waste management policy that will promote waste-to-wealth opportunities, attract private sector investment, create jobs and support climate action.

The call was made during a validation workshop on the Draft Nasarawa State Waste Management Policy held in Lafia.

Participants at the workshop stressed the need for the state to harness its growing waste output, estimated at about 730,000 tonnes annually, for economic and environmental benefits through a robust and sustainable policy framework.

The Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme, is currently implementing a project titled, “Waste to Wealth: Harnessing Bio-Waste Value to Enhance Climate-Smart Agricultural Production and Sustainable Livelihoods” in the state.

Speaking at the workshop, executive director of GIFSEP, Dr. David Michael, said effective state-level policies could significantly improve waste management systems and stimulate economic opportunities.

“Strong state-level policies can improve waste collection and recycling systems, promote waste-to-wealth opportunities, attract private sector investment, create jobs, and support climate action.

“And also strengthen coordination among communities, businesses, and government institutions,” he added.

Michael noted that Nigeria generates an estimated 32 million tonnes of municipal solid waste annually, with only between 20 and 40 per cent formally collected, while the rest is dumped indiscriminately, burned or discharged into the environment.

According to him, Nasarawa State alone generates between 1,500 and 2,000 tonnes of solid waste daily, particularly from urban centres such as Lafia, Keffi, Karu and Nasarawa Local Government Areas.

“In Nasarawa State, it is estimated that between 1,500 and 2,000 tonnes of solid waste are generated daily, amounting to nearly 730,000 tonnes annually,” he stated.

He warned that poor waste management contributes to environmental pollution, flooding, disease outbreaks and degradation of agricultural land and aquatic ecosystems.

The Nasarawa State Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Margaret Elayo, said the proposed policy aligns with the Climate Change Act 2021 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr. Ede Yakubu, the commissioner said existing waste management policies had failed to adequately address emerging concerns such as plastic pollution, organic waste and climate-related waste streams.

She called for the adoption of modern waste management standards capable of protecting public health, preserving the environment and creating green jobs.

“There is a need for a new standard for waste management that can protect public health, safeguard our environment, and create green jobs for our people,” she said.

Also speaking, National Coordinator of the UNDP-GEF Small Grants Programme, Dr. Ibironke Olubamise, said the era of treating waste as ordinary refuse was over.

“Environment does not need us; we need the environment. The environment does not forget, and it does not forgive. What you throw into it comes back to you,” she warned.

“This is not a call for only environmentalists—it’s a call for everybody,” she added.