The Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria (AWAMN) has urged Nigerians to explore ways of earning income from the waste they generate.
AWAMN President, Olugbenga Adebola, made this appeal on Thursday in Lagos during the unveiling of the association’s upcoming conference. He emphasized the need to redefine the waste management value chain in the country.
Highlighting the concept of a circular economy, Mr. Adebola said it involves transforming waste into valuable resources through processes like reusing, recycling, and reinventing.
“Currently, we are operating a linear economy, which means that you take your raw material; you make, to produce something; and then you use, and then you waste, which is why you have waste everywhere,” he explained.
He continued, “Now we are transitioning to a circular economy. What we are doing is to foster and fast-track transitioning into a circular economy, which is take, make, use, reuse, recycle, and reinvent.”
Mr. Adebola further elaborated on the economic benefits of the circular economy model, saying, “The message about the circular economy is that you are not going to generate any waste, and the economic implication is that there will be more businesses and more livelihood for people.
“People will continue to recover the waste; instead of wasting it, they can make money from it. Newer innovations will come in, newer technologies that can convert, for instance, bottles, into something else.”
He encouraged Nigerians to embrace this shift, noting its potential to create jobs and promote sustainable development.
