By Abbas Nazil
A one-day capacity-building workshop organised by the Refuse Management and Sanitation Board (REMASAB) in partnership with SFC Training Academy has brought together waste management operators in Kano State to strengthen waste collection and disposal under a revised franchise system.
The workshop, held on Wednesday, focused on updating private sector participants on new guidelines and operational expectations as the state moves to reform its sanitation system through improved collaboration with registered waste management companies.
Speaking at the event, REMASAB Managing Director, Dr. Mohamad S. Khalil, said the training forms part of government efforts to enhance sanitation delivery, noting that waste management globally is not handled by governments alone, but through strong private sector participation across designated franchise areas.
He explained that the state government recently reviewed the franchise agreement guiding Private Sector Participants (PSPs), making it necessary to train the companies on regulatory standards, responsibilities, and best practices to ensure effective service delivery.
Dr. Khalil identified non-payment of service charges by residents as a major challenge confronting waste operators, adding that the government will now enforce payment compliance while maintaining strict oversight of franchise operations.
He noted that some residents claim ignorance of disposal points despite the provision of litter bins along major routes including State Road, Race Course and Airport Road, stressing that ignorance cannot justify improper waste disposal.
On staff welfare, he disclosed that REMASAB workers have received salary increments under the current administration, while over 3,000 street sweepers are being enrolled into free health insurance schemes in partnership with KACHMA.
A representative of SFC Academy, Dr. Sani Usaini, said the academy has developed principles aimed at strengthening environmental accountability, stressing the need for Brimarsal to sanction polluters and integrate or phase out unregulated cart pushers who often dump waste indiscriminately.
He urged residents to use only registered PSP operators, warning that personal vehicles and unapproved collectors worsen littering and undermine the state’s waste management framework.
Also speaking, Chairman of the Kano Indigenous Waste Management Association, Dr. Bala Muhammad Tukur, emphasised the need for stronger enforcement to ensure residents pay for services, noting that many companies are struggling as only a fraction of households honour monthly charges.
He said waste collection fees are affordable, citing that a 200-litre bin costs N5,000 per month with four collections, and warned that many operators may shut down if compliance does not improve, even as mobile courts have been introduced to penalise defaulters.
The workshop, themed Sustainable Waste Collection and Disposal, is expected to guide the implementation of the improved franchise system aimed at achieving cleaner and more sustainable waste management across Kano State.