The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Visionscape

  • TDCF, Visionscape partner to battle childhood cancer

    To combat the growing rate of cancer among children, sanitation company, Visionscape, has partnered the Dorcas Cancer Foundation (TDCF) to foot treatment of children living with cancer and create more awareness on early detection.

    Both organizations visited ward one at the Lagos Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Mushin, Lagos, recently.

    During the visit, the Founder of the Dorcas Cancer Foundation, Dr. Adedayo Joseph, lamented that children die of childhood cancer as a result negligence to early detection and  financial constraints involved in the treatment of cancer, which the foundation is putting efforts together to fill the gap.

    “We are here because we want to help children survive cancer. We say all the times that our children are our future and any time a child is lost, it saddens. The question is why do we bother? It’s simply because these children can survive. Childhood cancer has better chances than adult cancer. We have a survival rate that is not comparable to what we have in western countries and their multiple problems like delay detection, lack of access to treatment and financial constraint”, said Joseph.

    “The foundation is trying to do its work on certain levels. We want to work on advocacy to have institutionalized plans, we want to directly fund treatment for the children that we have right now, and we want to increase awareness so that detection will occur early so that these children will not develop to stage four”.

    She expressed joy in partnership with Visionscape to combat childhood cancer.

    “We are always very excited to partner people. The issue here is that funding is limited and we have about 20 children.  We want the partners to see what we are doing . We are super grateful to Visionscape,” Joseph said.

    Head of CSR and Sustainability, Visionscape, Mrs. Maimuna Maibe, noted that as a sanitation company and part of its Corporate Social Responsibity (CSR) is to invest in health which is next to sanitation.

    “We are here because Visinscape has a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme which is health focus and we are glad we are partnering TDCF on childhood cancer. We are here to spend time with the parents and children to interact with them. Visionsape is a sanitation company and we believe health and sanitation go  hand in hand. Childhood cancer is a neglected area because people focus on adult cancer. Children here are at three and  four stages. I think the best we can do is to  detect  cancer early in our children” she said.

    One of the parents in the ward, Mr. Micheal Ayi, commended TDCF for swift intervention on his four-year-old son battling cancer for over 12 months after exhausting his life savings.

    “My son, Shedrak has been battling cancer for a year and I have been stripped off financially until I visited a friend and I saw a tract of  the Dorcas Cancer Foundation. I mailed and called them to explain the condition of my child and they have been helping.

    “My son’s ailment made me lose  my job because I couldn’t leave him all alone. TDCF has been helpful. The foundation pays for drugs and tests.  I am sincerely grateful,” he said.

  • Visionscape positions TLS for waste efficiency

    Visionscape Sanitation Solutions (VSS) is at the forefront of tackling the rising scourge of plastics as transfer loading stations (TLS) across  the state , which it has taken concession and management of, are at almost completion stage. The stations will serve as sorting centers for its recycling programme. They are located in Agege, Oshodi and Lagos Island.

    According to the firm, each TLS is strategically located to address collection efficiency and increase the trips for  waste collection.  For instance, while the Agege and Lagos Island stations will handle only solid waste, the Oshodi station will cater to medical and hazardous ones.

    Its Chief Executive Officer, John Irvine, said the TLS will also serve as the point of sorting and bundling of plastic waste, separating them from the bio-degradable materials, which end up in the landfill.

    “The Lagos market is highly dependent on plastic materials. Without adequate disposal processes, the waste materials end up polluting the earth, the oceans and ultimately, affecting human health. Improving the process of sorting and packaging at these  transfer loading stations makes it easier for us to recover materials that would have caused pollution,” Irvine said.

    He noted that from saving energy and reducing mileage for waste collection compactors, to reducing queues  and waiting time at the landfill, as well as any likely wear and tear on compactors, the benefits of the transfer loading stations reflect in both economic and environmental terms.

    According to Irvine,  facilitating an efficient approach to waste management in Lagos State is the core of its framework for the new waste management system. The waste management process encountered major issues with collection, and logistics of transporting waste, which he blamed on the capacity and condition of waste collection trucks and their inability to travel landfills located outside the city limits to dispose collected waste.

    The company, he said, will now focus on the rapid development of more transfer loading stations within the state. A TLS serves as a midpoint for municipal solid waste collection, where waste is temporarily stored, then transferred to larger trucks and sent in bulk to the landfill for final disposal and processing.

  • Tinubu: I am not the owner of Visionscape

    ALl Progressive Congress Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has debunked reports and insinuations that he owns Visionscape, the foreign environmental utility group engaged by Lagos State Government for waste management.

    He said he does not have a penny stakes in the firm, dismissing media reports the conglomerate belongs to him as untrue and false.

    The former Lagos State Governor spoke on Friday evening while addressing members of the Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria, also known as PSP operators, in his Bourdillon Ikoyi, Lagos residence, who submitted a petition to him.

    “I beg to correct something and I think I have to do it publicly; the rumour I’ve heard all over the state and the social media is that I am the one who brought a foreign company.

    “I am not the owner of Visionscape. Categorically, I’m telling you today, I have no penny…Yes, that is the truth,” Tinubu said

    He said the decision to bring in the company to handle waste collection and management was solely that of Lagos state government and has nothing to do with him.

    Tinubu however assured the operators he is concerned about their plights, promising to meet with Governor Akinwunmi Ambode in the shortest time possible to find a lasting solution to the waste management crisis in the state.

    “I’m concerned as a leader, resident and a father in the state that heaps of refuse are gradually returning to Lagos.

    “When driving around Lagos, I have seen a buildup of refuse. Be rest assured that we’re not going to allow that to happen.”

    The Cleaner Lagos Initiative, he explained, was conceived with good intentions, stating “personally, I think Visionscape was brought in to address the complexities of waste collection and management in the state.

    “It could be an experiment and I’m sure the governor too will be magnanimous enough to reverse such a decision if it’s not working,” Tinubu assured the operators.

    Vice Chairman of the association, David Oriyemi, lamented the disengagement of PSP operators has led to loss of over 25,000 direct jobs, saying the 350 operators have suffered economic losses since the policy came on board.

    He appealed to Tinubu to help prevail on Governor Ambode to consider their plights and reengage them since they have over a decade expertise in waste management.

     

  • Tinubu: I am not the owner of Visionscape

    All Progressives Congress Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has debunked reports that he owns Visionscape, the foreign environmental utility group engaged by Lagos State Government for waste management.

    He said he does not have a penny stake in the firm, dismissing media reports the conglomerate belongs to him as untrue and false.

    The former Lagos State Governor spoke on Friday evening while addressing members of the Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria, also known as PSP operators, in his Bourdillon Ikoyi, Lagos residence, who submitted a petition to him.

    “I beg to correct something and I think I have to do it publicly; the rumour I’ve heard all over the state and the social media is that I am the one who brought a foreign company.

    “I am not the owner of Visionscape. Categorically, I’m telling you today, I have no penny…Yes, that is the truth,” Tinubu said

    He said the decision to bring in the company to handle waste collection and management was solely that of Lagos state government and has nothing to do with him.

    Tinubu however assured the operators he is concerned about their plights, promising to meet with Governor Akinwunmi Ambode in the shortest time possible to find a lasting solution to the waste management crisis in the state.

    “I’m concerned as a leader, resident and a father in the state that heaps of refuse are gradually returning to Lagos.

    “When driving around Lagos, I have seen a buildup of refuse. Be rest assured that we’re not going to allow that to happen.”

    The Cleaner Lagos Initiative, he explained, was conceived with good intentions, stating “personally, I think Visionscape was brought in to address the complexities of waste collection and management in the state.’

    “It could be an experiment and I’m sure the governor too will be magnanimous enough to reverse such a decision if it’s not working,” Tinubu assured the operators.

    Vice Chairman of the association, David Oriyemi, lamented the disengagement of PSP operators has led to loss of over 25,000 direct jobs, saying the 350 operators have suffered economic losses since the policy came on board.

    He appealed to Tinubu to help prevail on Governor Ambode to consider their plights and reengage them since they have over a decade expertise in waste management.

  • Visionscape, PSP operators agree to work together

    After months of negotiations, good reasoning prevailed at the weekend as the Private Sector Participants (PSPs) and Visionscape Sanitation Solutions (VSS) agreed to work together in waste management in Lagos State.

    The disagreement started when the government introduced the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI).

    Under the new arrangement, the PSPs, now known as waste collection operators (WCO), agreed to resume residential waste collection while Visionscape’s primary concern would be infrastructural development.

    This resolution became necessary as the government and other stakeholders were determined to avoid similar environmental disasters, such as as the Olusosun fire outbreak of a few weeks ago.

    The new arrangement expands the scope of Visionscape’s contract, which includes the construction of more transfer loading stations, biomass plants, recycling facilities, waste-to-energy plants, leachate and wastewater treatment schemes, dumpsite and landfill remediation and more.

    VSS Chief Executive Officer, John Irvine in a chat shortly after the agreement signing, said: “Sometimes you must compromise for the sake of the common good. We listened to  stakeholders, and our intentions were always to be part of a community. Both sides understand each other’s aspirations, and have chosen to focus on our commonalities, put the controversy behind us and move forward collectively as a community. We will continue to support our partner operators with equipment and capacity upgrade for better collection and carry out interventions required to fill service gaps.”

    The Special Adviser to the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on CLI, Adebola Shabi, said under the deal, both groups would ensure that they work for the success of the CLI.

    According to Shabi, the government believes that small businesses are the engine of economic growth and should be encouraged at all levels.

    “Beyond the CLI goals of fostering a cleaner environment for Lagosians, we are also finding opportunities to provide an infrastructure and awareness initiatives that will enable an effective waste management system. Visionscape Sanitation Solutions and the PSPs are an inspiration to all and we look forward to a successful working relationship,” Shabi said.

    Visionscape has concessioned three transfer loading stations, three vehicle-maintenance depots and the 88-hectare of land in Epe being constructed as the first engineered landfill in West Africa.

    While these are improvements in the waste facilities in the state, experts say it is only the beginning when compared with New York City.

  • Visionscape takes environmentalists on tour of Epe landfill

    In commemoration of World Forest Day 2018, officials of the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI) organised a comprehensive tour of the first engineered sanitary landfill located in Epe. The landfill is being developed by Visionscape Sanitation Services.

    The tour, attended by environmentalists, waste management companies, Non-governmental Organisations and government officials, included bodies like KidsBeachGarden, 123Recycle, RecyclePoints, E-Terra,  was to give an insight into the workings of the landfill and the process of waste management within a controlled environment.

    The Landfill Operations Manager, Mr. Sumeet Singh said over 350 scavengers had been registered and inducted into Visionscape’s processes.

    According to Singh, an average of 30 trucks from various Waste Collection Operators (WCO) already use the landfill daily to dispose waste, which is then levelled to prevent waste piling.

    Sumeet reiterated the company’s commitment to working with all waste collection operators, assuring that “Visionscape is committed to building local capacity in the waste management industry; we will work and support all players to improve standards and overall efficiency of all waste management operations.”

    He said the firm kick-started operations at the landfill in January 2018. The landfill at Epe is the first in Nigeria; it is expected to serve as an Ecopark, where waste-to-energy plans, wastewater treatment, material recycling, and other vital environmental friendly procedures are carried out daily.

  • Visionscape promises cleaner Lagos

    The Visionscape Sanitation Solutions (VSS) has restated its commitment to the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI) policy.

    The firm expressed its willingness to work with PSP operators.

    Visionscape’s Head of Corporate Communication Motunrayo Elias  said this during a chat with The Nation in Lagos.

    She said over 100 PSP operators had joined Visionscape to assist in waste collection.

    “Our plan is to serve the residential areas of Lagos. We have a lot of black spots or illegal dump sites in the state. We want to clear  the black spots before moving into the residential areas,” she said.

    Elias praised the PSPs for the work they did before Visionscape came. She said the company was willing to work with PSP operators. She explained that tremedous progress had been made. “We are willing and we have made progress and we will work together,” Elias said, adding that though the firm started operations last January,  progress had been made in delivering a cleaner Lagos.

    She said Visionscape was embarking on advocacy programmes at the grassroots.

    VSS Head of Planning, Kiran Reddy noted that the waste management company had cleared 2000 of the 5000 illegal dumpsites or black spots in the state.

    He said illegal 5000 dumpsites were identified during a study of the state.

    “We found approximately 5000 black spots with waste from five tonnes to 150 tonnes and we have cleaned up approximately 2000 black spots. We rented trucks, used pay loaders to clean these dumpsites,” he explained.

    Highlighting efforts by the firm to rid Lagos of refuse, Kiran said over 15, 000 bins had been distributed across the state and that by the end August, over 20,000 galvanised bins would have been distributed.

    He noted that four million plastic bags had been distributed to residents of Lagos, adding that 10 million plastic bags would be distributed before the end of the year.

  • No cause for alarm, says Visionscape

    Visionscape Sanitation Solutions said there is “no cause for alarm” over the resolution of the Lagos State House of Assembly to summon the executive over the state of waste management in Lagos.

    The House of Assembly had in a resolution invited the Accountant-General of the state, Mrs Abimbola Umar and  three members of the State Executive Council to brief its ad hoc committee, on all issues surrounding waste management in Lagos and the role and status  of Visionscape.

    The invited commissioners are Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Mr Adeniji Kazeem; the Commissioner for Finance, Mr Akinyemi Ashade and the Commissioner for Environment, Mr Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti.

    But in a chat with The Nation, yesterday, a representative of Visionscape, Dipo Wintoki, said the House of Assembly was performing its statutory function and there was no cause for alarm since the firm had a valid contract from government.

    “The emergence of the contract was done through regular and due process. The Lagos State Government has an obligation to fulfil its part of the contract. The process of awarding the contract to Visionscape was not arbitrary. This will be resolved,” Wintoki said.

    The Head, Corporate Communications of Visionscape, Motunrayo Elias, explained that in a little while, waste problem will be a thing of the past in the state.

    She said the firm was consolidating its efforts at delivering the best services to keep the state clean.

    Part of this consolidation has led to about 100 PSP operators joining hands to work with Visionscape.

    She said that more vehicles and equipment that will ensure smoother operations of the company would soon be added.

  • Epe landfill can’t experience fire, says Visionscape

    The Chief Executive Officer of Visionscape Sanitation Solutions, John Irvine has assured Lagosians that the engineered landfill being constructed by the environmental utility company at Epe cannot experience a fire outbreak.

    Irvine, was responding to a question posed during an interaction with journalists in the palace of the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwanu Akiolu where he and the top management of Visionscape had gone on a courtesy visit.

    The Visionscape boss said there was no need to fear that a fire outbreak can happen at Epe just as it did recently at the Olusosun dump.

    “It’s (Olusosun fire incident) very unfortunate and we sympathise with the people involved. But just to make the record clear, Epe landfill is a total different super-structure as it is the first engineered landfill in Lagos. The incidence that happened in Olusosun will never happen in Epe because of the safety measures and technology involved in the engineered landfill. What happens in a landfill is that we construct the waste in a certain way that doesn’t allow fire outbreaks to happen because we capture the leaking gas and we take away the leachate,” he said.

    Irvine also addressed the concerns of the residents complaining that they are yet to get the waste bins and bags being distributed by Visionscape.

    “When the government asked if we could take over the waste in the market, public areas and schools, the brief changed and all the plans to attend to the residential waste has been re-configured, so the vehicles will be here. The services will be here but you have to understand that there’s a lot of waste being generated by entrepreneurs and we will clear that backlog. Now we are embracing Waste Collection Operators (WCOs) who will help in the interim to tackle the daily collection and to allow us take the waste to Epe ,” he said.

    Oba Akiolu praised the firm over its efforts to fulfil its part in delivering a cleaner Lagos.

    He acknowledged that Visionscape had a good reputation and an international pedigree. The Oba maintained that though he was not an investor in the company, he has decided to give it 100 percent support.

    He said the environmental utility company was not out to take the jobs of the PSPs.

  • Our plan for cleaner Lagos, by Visionscape

    WASTE managers Visionscape Sanitations Solution (VSS) has promised to employ the adults among the 200 scavengers at the Epe landfill to boost the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI).

    The environment utility company said it would also train the under-age among them so that  they could be reintegrated in the future.

    Its Chief Operations Officer, Thomas Forgacs, made these known at lunch for journalists, PSP operators and other stakeholders in the waste management value chain.

    He said  500 scavengers used to be on the site, adding that the number has dropped to 200. He said they had been categorised into two, those who fell within 18 to 50  and those less than 18.

    Forgacs said the landfill would be completed between 12 and 18 months.

    Commissioner for the Environment Mr. Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti said the landfill being built in Epe was in steady progress.

    He said the landfill, being a critical aspect of the waste management value chain, was accorded priority by the  government, which  has concessioned the 880,000-square metre landfill to deliver the construction of weighing areas and road ways, leachate collection and sediment ponds and material recovery facilities, among others.

    According to him, the facility would ensure the protection of public health,  while providing an efficient and effective final disposal option for generated waste.

    Durosinmi-Etti said the landfill was part of the CLI aimed at revitalising the  solid waste management sector to have far-reaching benefits and multiplier effects on the state.

    The government, he said,  was committed to providing a sustainable and functional environment that would ensure development and prosperity.