By Barbara Nwaiwu
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has called for the adoption of a recycling based waste management system in Abuja, saying the current monthly environmental sanitation exercise is inadequate to keep the city clean.
Wike stated this on Friday during the inspection of ongoing projects in the Federal Capital Territory, where he stressed that relying solely on “Sanitation Saturdays” could not address the growing waste management challenges in the nation’s capital.
According to the minister, Abuja requires a modern and sustainable waste disposal system capable of tackling the root causes of waste accumulation rather than temporary clean-up exercises conducted once every month.
“If you do environmental sanitation once a month, how does that make the city clean?”
“Environmental sanitation is for people to bring out refuse, clean the drainage, and allow contractors to evacuate the waste. But that alone is not enough”.
Wike said while advocating stronger waste recycling initiatives and improved environmental management policies across the territory.
He explained that although the monthly sanitation programme contributes to environmental cleanliness, it does not provide a long term solution for waste generation in a rapidly expanding city like Abuja.
The minister said the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) was considering practical waste recycling strategies aimed at ensuring cleaner neighbourhoods and a healthier environment for residents.
Wike noted that a recycling based system would help reduce indiscriminate dumping of refuse, improve waste collection and disposal, and strengthen sanitation management within the city and surrounding satellite towns.
He also urged residents to embrace responsible waste disposal habits, stressing that maintaining a clean capital city requires collective commitment from both government authorities and members of the public.
“Waste management disposal is not just about dumping refuse. All over the world, you must recycle. You must have factories that convert waste into another product,” he said
According to him, environmental sustainability in Abuja cannot be achieved through periodic sanitation exercises alone, but through structured waste management reforms supported by effective recycling systems.
