The Managing Director/CEO of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, has called for a radical shift towards a circular economy and clean energy to address the pressing environmental and resource challenges facing the West African region.
He made this call on Tuesday at the 2024 West African Clean Energy and Environment Trade Fair and Conference, held at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Speaking on the theme, “Sustainability Showcase: Stimulating Green Economy Investments, Gbadegesin emphasised the importance of embracing circular economy and clean energy to shape a sustainable future for West Africa, stressing that the two concepts were critical in transforming waste management, production, and energy sectors.
He said, “Our focus today is on two critical concepts: circular economy and clean energy. These concepts are not only interrelated but also essential to the socioeconomic transformation of our nation, our sub-region, and indeed, the world. As we face the challenges of climate change, resource depletion, and environmental degradation, we must collectively rethink our approach to production, consumption, and waste management.”.
Gbadegesin stressed the growing need to adopt a circular economy model in West Africa, particularly as rapid urbanisation and industrialisation strain the region’s waste management systems.
He further highlighted the stark contrast between the traditional “take, make, dispose” model and the circular economy, which promotes recycling, reuse, and remanufacturing to keep resources in circulation for as long as possible.
“In our region, where rapid urbanisation and industrialisation are putting pressure on waste management systems, the circular economy provides a solution. It is an economic model that not only mitigates waste but also creates new opportunities for job creation, innovation, and economic resilience,” he explained.
The LAWMA boss said the Authority had already implemented several initiatives that embraced circular economy principles, with the conversion of organic waste into compost being a major success, adding that the agency was driving waste-to-energy projects that aim to generate clean energy while reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
Such initiatives, according to him, include LAWMA’s partnership with Earthcare for compost production and the installation of a biogas plant at Ketu Fruit Market.
“Recycling, composting, and waste-to-energy projects are at the core of our strategy. For instance, by converting organic waste into compost, we are supporting sustainable agriculture, reducing methane emissions, and closing the loop in waste management. With our planned waste-to-energy initiatives, we aim to transform refuse into power,” he noted.
He equally stressed that investment in clean energy infrastructure must be accompanied by strong policies, capacity-building, and financing mechanisms, urging governments to create enabling environments for clean energy innovation while also ensuring that the poorest communities benefitted from these advancements, adding that transitioning to clean energy was not just about infrastructure investment but required a comprehensive framework that would integrate policy, financing, and capacity-building.
Earlier in his welcome address, the leader of the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Nigeria, Mr Bastian Lidzba, disclosed that the annual event sought to provide stakeholders and environmental experts with insights on sustainable environments, adding that the two-day conference would cover key sectors like renewable energy, waste management, climate-smart agriculture, and water conservation.
He said, “As a country, we believe in collaboration. Germany and Nigeria have been partnering for over 50 years in the environmental sustainability journey. This platform is an avenue to pool resources, expertise, and knowledge together in order to scale up projects that promote sustainable production, energy efficiency, and resource conservation.”.
Also speaking, the County Manager for GIZ Nigeria, Markus Wagner, expressed optimism that the conference would facilitate discussion in making sustainable policies on the circular economy to thrive in Lagos State and Nigeria at large.
The event also featured panel discussions and exhibitions.
Other dignitaries at the event were: the General Manager of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, Dr. Babatunde Ajayi; the Consul-General of the Republic of Ghana, H.E. Samanta Bukari; and the and the Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany, H.E. Weert Bormer, among others.
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