By Awyetu Asabe Hope
The Community Development Advocacy Foundation (CODAF) has called for urgent reductions in methane emissions and plastic production to accelerate Nigeria’s transition to a zero-waste economy.
In a communiqué issued on February 19, 2026, civil society leader Philip Jakpor said the Expanded Zero Waste Parliament 2026, convened by CODAF in partnership with the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives Africa, brought together over 80 stakeholders in Lagos.
Participants, including government agencies, regulators, farmers, academics, waste pickers, youth groups and the media, examined Nigeria’s waste policies, methane mitigation efforts and plastic governance under the theme, “Cutting Methane, Curbing Plastics: A Just Transition to Zero Waste.
The forum warned that rapid urbanisation, population growth and poor waste management are driving methane emissions from dumpsites and landfills, noting that organic waste forms a major share of municipal waste.
Delegates rejected waste-to-energy incineration as a “false climate solution” and cautioned against expanding incineration infrastructure under the guise of methane reduction.
They also decried weak enforcement of plastic regulations and poor implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility.
The parliament urged mandatory waste segregation at source, expansion of decentralised composting, integration of methane targets into climate plans, and formal recognition of informal waste pickers as essential service providers.
It called on Lagos State and the Federal Government to adopt zero-waste policies aligned with climate science and social justice principles.
