The Chairman of Apapa-Iganmu Local Council Development Area, Jimoh Saliu, has called on the Lagos State Government and private sector operators to support a waste-to-wealth programme aimed at creating jobs, improving sanitation and expanding economic opportunities for residents.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos, Saliu said the council was working to transform waste management into a structured economic activity by organising waste collectors and traders into cooperatives and establishing collection and aggregation centres across the area.
He said the initiative would help tackle environmental challenges while creating new sources of income for residents.
“On our part, we want to reassure you of our full readiness and commitment.
“We will provide land where necessary, offer strong coordination, ensure effective community engagement, and give all required implementation support to make this initiative successful,” Saliu told stakeholders.
The council chairman also appealed to participating companies to extend their corporate social responsibility programmes to community development projects within the LCDA.
“We have schools we want to build, we want to build hospitals, we have halls that can be branded, and we have sports centres that can be developed. “I want to implore you to come and invest in them,” he said.
Representing the Office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Climate Change and Circular Economy, Dr Adebola Odunsi said the programme aligned with efforts to build a circular economy in which waste materials are recycled and reused instead of ending up on the streets.
Odunsi said reliable data on the volume of recyclable waste generated within the area would be crucial to the success of the initiative, adding that waste traders would need to operate through registered cooperatives to access funding opportunities.
“The exercise must be properly structured,” she said, stressing the importance of formalising operators within the sector.
Private sector representatives pledged support for the programme.
The Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility Manager of Nigerian Breweries Plc, Oluseye Olokun, said the company was prepared to support the initiative through skills development and empowerment programmes.
Similarly, the Operations Head of SPCTA Industries Limited, Tunji Alade, said the company had the capacity to provide employment opportunities and vocational training in technical trades.
He also urged residents to stop indiscriminate disposal of plastic waste, warning that poor waste management practices undermine recycling efforts.
A representative of 7Up Bottling Company said the firm had already conducted assessments in the area and was committed to supporting practical interventions under the programme.
Stakeholders at the meeting expressed optimism that stronger collaboration between government, communities and private companies would help expand recycling activities, improve environmental conditions and create sustainable livelihoods for residents.