A man in traditional attire pushes a waste cart on a busy Lagos street, emphasizing the city’s waste economy and recycling initiatives.
It is well connected with the domestic formal economy and has also established links into trans-border trade with neighbouring and distant countries. But managing the city’s solid waste remains an intractable problem. While there have been some improvements, for example in solid waste policies, investment and management practices, these have mainly benefited the formal waste system. The changes have led to public-private joint investments in the purchase of 650 waste collection trucks and in a waste-to-compost facility which cost over $20 million. Another is the daily conversion capacity of about 850 metric tonnes of organic waste to 250 bags of organic fertiliser. Researchers says Lagos policy makers should note the positive role that informal waste pickers play. And they should factor this into the formulation of policies. The informal economy is not an impediment to the prosperity of Lagos. Rather it represents a huge asset base that should be harnessed for further development and sustainable solid waste management.
SOURCE: THE CONVERSATION