By Yemi Olakitan
Enterprising Swiss businesses have urged Nigerian companies to work effectively together to tackle waste by promoting investment and employing cutting-edge technology to address the effects of dumping rubbish on the land surface.
When it comes to waste reduction, recycling, and access to renewable energy, “Swiss innovative tech tries to strike a balance between society’s requirements and the world’s ecosystem.
During the Swiss-Nigeria Innovative Forum at the West Africa Clean Energy and Environment Trade Fair and Conference (WACEE) 2022, which was hosted in Lagos, Nigeria, Swiss expert Dr. Natalie Beinisch made this call. According to Beinisch, innovation is necessary to promote efficient trash dumping at landfills, which among other environmental pollutions causes land deterioration.
She emphasised the necessity to investigate investment tactics that can expand circular economy.
The strategic importance of a cleaner environment as a bedrock upon which development and economic prosperity rest tops discussions as key industry players like UNIDO, USAID, Nestle, Lafarge, Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance, among others engaged in discussion burden on waste management and the environment. The engagement/panel session address theme as: “ The Impact of Public -Private Partnership Policies on Cleantech financing and Addressing finance gaps in sustainable financing Possibilities where industry players.
Head Investment Technology Promotion Office (ITPO), United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, (UNIDO), Nigeria, Ms. Abimbola Olufore, said. innovative solutions in cleantech and sustainable land management is solutions to address the adverse effects of climate change and ultimately contribute to inclusive and sustainable economic development.
Olufore added that new technologies do not only play a significant role for climate change mitigation and adaptation, they also offer opportunities, for job creation and more sustainable ways of development. Investments in these technologies and their application in developing countries and economies in transition will be a catalyzer for the achievement of the SDGs. She stated that there is much wealth and economic benefits,apart from the job creation that could be generated from circular economy, recycling and waste management.Felgenhauer added that the conference aimed to promote sustainable investment in energy, adding that WACEE is a platform for exchange of conversations between experts and beneficiaries, to produce practical and sustainable solutions. She said in Nigeria, we see a lot of business opportunities in the fields of clean energy, circular economy and water that we have identify for companies to provide technical and business solutions.The key to driving these solutions are partnerships between companies and the public sector. The delegate of German Industry and Commerce in Nigeria, Katharina Felgenhauer, noted that WACEE fair is taking place, for the first time in Lagos, Nigeria, with a physical presence after 10 years it started in Ghana. In 2020, Nigeria hosted it but it was a virtual event.
WACEE brought together the right partners to catalyze sustainable investments, meaning that discussions about suitable technologies about business opportunities about finance are taking place so that we can look at solutions and innovations that are practical and make sense and are here to solve solutions that are long term working.
