By Lukman Olabiyi
Concerned stakeholders recently launched Waste Management Innovation Challenge (WMIC), at the Japanese External Trade Organization (JETRO), Victoria Island, Lagos. There, eggheads came out with innovative ways of managing wastes.
Co-founder of the initiative, Felix Iziomoh, said: “This is a problem for us as Lagos residents. We want to see how we can help those recyclers and entrepreneurs to scale up their mode of operations. WMIC is to help them to get investors for their business and to see how they can build up in solving the problem of waste management.”
He was optimistic owing to the pitches by three presenters each from Nigeria, Japan and Norway: “There is hope that waste management as a global challenge would soon end.” It was organised to identify at least 20 start-ups from any country so long they are offering solutions related to waste management. The project will start fully in 2022.
Christogonus Ibe of Smart and Neat Solutions said: “The project will create jobs as well as create wealth for practitioners and the host city. Through this project, Nigeria and Japan can explore their bilateral relationship especially in technology and waste management.
“Considering the high volume of waste Lagos State is generating, the world is now focused on Lagos with the mind-set of deploying technology and adopting global best practices in addressing the environmental challenges with the hope of creating employment and also creating wealth for our many unemployed youths.”
Takanori Tayama of Linden Japan and co-founder of the initiative, said: “It was good to see waste management and environmental activists addressing the problems of the ecosystem gathered together to address the waste challenges in Lagos.”
Commissioner, JETRO, Lagos Office, Takuma Taninami, said the firm was excited to be part of the project: “It will promote bilateral relationship between Japan and Nigeria.”
Participating companies included Empower, Norway; Kudoti, South Africa; Waste Bazaar, Nigeria; Wecyclers, Nigeria; OkwuEco, Nigeria; Aranea, Japan and Bakture, Japan.