By Barbara Nwaiwu
Environmental consultant, Dr. Lawrence Umoh, has urged Nigerians to transform urban waste into economic opportunities through recycling, renewable energy and inclusive waste management.
Umoh made the call in an interview in Abuja on Tuesday, saying Nigeria needed to move beyond waste disposal and recognise refuse as a resource that could create jobs, generate energy and support sustainable industries.
He advocated the formalisation of informal waste pickers through cooperative-led Extended Producer Responsibility schemes, saying the approach would improve recycling, traceability, earnings and access to protective equipment.
According to Umoh, poor first-mile waste collection was a major reason refuse accumulated in cities, making community drop-off centres and incentives that link residents directly with recycling markets necessary.
He cited a clean-up exercise in Lagos where 34 volunteers collected 2.1 tonnes of plastic and earned N47,000 after sorting the materials and connecting them with recycling markets.
Umoh also recommended integrated waste-to-energy hubs where food waste could be processed through anaerobic digestion to produce biogas for cooking and electricity, as well as nutrient-rich fertiliser.
“Agricultural residues and other dry waste can be processed into supplementary cementitious materials, reducing dependence on high-emission cement in construction,” he said.
The environmental consultant said artificial intelligence and Internet of Things sensors could further improve such facilities by monitoring methane production, predicting maintenance requirements and helping to maintain material quality.
He urged governments to adopt green public procurement policies that promote the use of waste-derived construction materials and renewable natural gas, saying this could create guaranteed markets for investors.
Umoh cautioned against traditional mass-burn incineration over concerns about toxic emissions, advocating integrated systems capable of producing renewable fuel and useful materials with fewer harmful by-products.
He identified inadequate standards for waste-derived products and the absence of a clear biogas policy framework as major barriers to large-scale investment in the sector.
He called for regulatory reforms to strengthen investor confidence and accelerate Nigeria’s transition from waste disposal to a circular economy.
