By Johnson Adebowale
As part of its strategies to reduce waste generation and ensure a sustainable and healthy environment, the Lagos State Government has concluded plans to lead the implementation of circular economy in Nigeria.
Speaking during the handover of the Lagos State Circularity GAP Report to the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) and the Lagos State Resilience Office (LASRO) to mark the end of the first phase of the project, the general manager of LASEPA, Dr. Dolapo Fasawe, said circular economy was critical to the state government’s initiative on healthy and environmental agendas.
Fasawe, who received the report alongside representatives of the LASRO, commended Nondunna Limited, the implementing partner of the project, for a job well done and urged residents and organisations to embrace the idealogy to reduce wastage.
He said: “A circular economy is one in which everyone’s waste becomes someone’s raw material. Plastic is bad when it is not properly disposed of. They clog the drainage and cause flooding. When you use plastic, recycle it. You can use it up to 10 times. It is a global trend. All the plastic on the streets could be recycled. We can export them and turn them into money.”
Mr. Oluwakorede Okpekpe, a representative of Nondunna Limited, stated during the presentation of the project report titled “Facilitating the Transition to a Circular Economy and the Building of an Environmentally Responsive Lagos State” that achieving a circular economy as opposed to a linear one would reduce and save the nation’s dwindling raw material base.
Okpekpe, who is also the project manager, stated that the project was to deliver four deliverables that would position Lagos State to understand the state of its circular economy and further enhance the transition to a circular and environmentally resilient economy.
He said that the state’s plan to lead the trail in the project in Nigeria is fast becoming a reality.
“These deliverables include a Circularity Gap Report, content development and strategic communications, a project repository and tracking dashboard/web app, and a database of fundable projects and potential investors. “The project report, which covered three local government areas—Oshodi-Isolo, Ikeja, and Amuwo Odofin,” he said, provided a workflow summary that included activities, outputs, and outcomes achieved during the project’s execution.
He stated that the research leveraged various data collection methodologies and the expertise of key stakeholders, both internally and externally, to glean insights into the state of the circular economy in the state.
According to him, “circular economy” is not a popular term and may require a breakdown for people living at the grassroots.
“In simple terms, a circular economy refers to the conservation of natural resources and waste reduction. It is an economic model that aims to produce goods and services sustainably, limiting consumption and waste generation.
“A circular economy ensures resources are maintained within the economy even when a product has reached the end of its life so that they can be economically used again and again and thus create additional value,” Okpekpe said.