Association trains 4,000 on waste management

 Jane Chijioke

OVER 4,000 waste management personnel in Lagos State have been empowered with best practices on waste management at a two-day capacity development programme organised by the Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria (AWAMN).

They were trained on waste handling; usage of Personal Protective Equipment(PPP); health,safety and environment; regulatory compliance; customer care and services; financial, stress and time management among others.Moo

The Chairman, Capacity Development and Training Committe,(AWAMN), Olugbenga Adebola said the training was in line with the manifesto of the new executives of the association  to  reposition the waste management industry to have a cleaner and healthier environment.

“The repositioning was necessary for the state and the waste management industry in view of the recent experience  of mismanagement and near policy  summersault that returned lagos to a very dirty state,” he said.

He noted that the State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu  has shown commitment to the total revamping of the state  of the environment  having signed some few executive orders, one of which was the environmental sanitation and also launched the  Blue Box initiatives aimed at encouraging source segregation of waste into different recyclables for recylicying purposes which is in line with the United Nations 3Rs(Reduce, Reuse,and Recycle).

Adebola remarked that the waste industry was dynamic and records daily innovations in the methodologies adopted  in waste containerisation, collection, transportation, treatment, conversion and others. Hence the need to enhance the operational efficiencies and standards of the waste management  personnel.

He added that training of the Chief Execitive Officers of all waste management companies would be done in the first quarter of 2020.

The Permanent secretary, Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Mrs Belinda Odeneye said  the training to equip waste personnel with the right techniques and  mechanism was apt following the global shift towards having a  circular economy.

On his part, the Executive Ditector, Lagos Waste Management Authority( LAWMA), Ibrahim Odumboni, said the agency would continue to give its support to improve efficiency and wellbeing of waste handlers and the environment.

He advised  Lagosians  to always engage their Private Sector  Participation(PSP) operators and send feedbacks as the regulatory agency has a zero tolerance for non performance.