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Tag: waste

  • Lagos rejigs waste management

    Lagos rejigs waste management

    With the unveiling of new reforms, the Lagos State government is set to transform waste management, environment and the economy, writes MUYIWA LUCAS.

    It was an unusual gathering, coming just a few days after the ministry’s monthly media parley was held.

    And the entry of the state’s commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare and his Information and Strategy counterpart, Steve Ayorinde, meant it was not business as usual. As the duo, accompanied by other members of the ministry sauntered into the PearlWorth Hotel, Ikeja conference room, it was glaring that something ‘big’ was in the offing.

    The occasion turned out to be one that would catapult the state into the next level of waste management, which has remained a sour point in the affairs of a state with an estimated 22 million people.

    Using graphics to explain the reform, tagged the Cleaner Lagos Initiative, Adejare noted the flaws in the structure as well as dynamics of the  system. Besides creating an enabling environment for the private sector to harness international best practices, the initiative will equally tackle challenges in solid waste management in the state.

    “The Cleaner Lagos Initiative aims to protect the environment, human health and social living standards of Lagos residents by promoting a harmonised and holistic approach to the waste and environmental challenges, thereby ensuring improved operational efficiency. It will also address the lacunae in the  legislation to expand the scope of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) to enable it enforce, regulate and generate revenue from the waste management process,” he explained.

    To this end, Adejare said the government would carry out a recertification of all the 350 PSP operators, relicense them and audit the state of their compactors. Besides, five new power stations – one in each division in the state – will be built to generate power from wastes, and the numerous dumpsites dotting parts of the state will soon be a thing of the past.

    As part of the initiative, Olusosun and Solus dumpsites are to be closed next year, because it has been established that they are dangerous to health and the environment.

    “We plan to regenerate Olusosun and turn it into a park, where intercity buses will end their journey and would no longer be allowed to enter into the city. Passengers will from there take taxis and intra-city buses to their destinations in town,” he explained.

    Alaso, he said about 25,000 people would be engaged as street sweepers. They would be well-kitted with decent uniforms, gloves, boots, pickers, brushes, carts as well as mobile phones with which to communicate with the control centre, and they would be well paid.

    To make them effective, every sanitation worker will reside in where they operate, especially for convenience and to curb the high cost of fare to work. They will be will be well-trained and given an attractive welfare package.

    “In all, we hope to generate a total of 46,000 new jobs,” he said.

    The commissioner, who disclosed that a law is in the works to back the Initiative, said the scheme would allow big-time players in the waste management sector to do business with the state.

    This is why Lagosians will be required to pay a public utility levy (PUL), which is not a tax but something similar to what is being paid to PSP operators. Part of the PUL goes into an Environment Trust Fund.

    The commissioner, who described   the situation as a “broken system,” regretted that several factors had combined to cripple the smooth running of the state’s waste management. Some of these include hindrance of regular waste collection by a vicious cycle between clients and operators as poor collection service delivery leads to irregular and poor payments; bin placement, transfer loading stations (TLS), and other supporting infrastructure had been ignored and undue attention placed on waste collection only.

    Besides, the waste billing system is said to be unduly complicated due to the differences and inconsistencies in charges and collection routes, therefore, leaving the billing system open to manipulation and fraud.

    Adejare  said LAWMA, as regulator for waste management, is overwhelmed by the responsibilities of having to coordinate 350 companies and still carry out its own collection.

    To address the situation, he said there would be a transformation of the TLS to modern ones, including the introduction of no fewer than 25 Material Revolving Facility (MRF) where wastes will be sorted. Also, 600 new compactor vehicles will be acquired. Each compactor will be tracked while  the state will be divided into zones for ease of allocation of compactors. There will be a control room where every compactor will be monitored, and existing waste dumpsites will be closed and replaced with engineered sanitary landfill sites. The government is considering sites in Badagry, Epe and Ikorodu for the five sanitary landfills being proposed. The leachate and gas to be recovered from the proposed sanitary landfills will be put to good use.

    “The PSP and LAWMA partnership was quite effective, but is no longer applicable, considering the fact that the population of Lagos has increased several fold (and still increasing) and the over 300 compactors in use are old and not suitable for modern waste collection. Wastes should not bring us hardship and shame, but rather we should make money from it. Emphasis will be on zero-dumping, recycling and generation of power from wastes,” he explained.

    When fully implemented, Adejare is convinced that the new arrangement will ensure that waste disposal will no longer be a challenge in the state. An efficient system would have been put in  ground for effective management to eradicate cart pushers in the city.

     

  • Lagos, firm in N85b waste mgt deal

    The Lagos State government has entered into agreement with a firm to manage domestic waste. The deal, which is a  public-private partnership (PPP) based contract, is worth N85 billion over the next five years.

    This was disclosed by the state’s commissioner for the environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare in a chat with The Nation. Although he declined to name the investor cum contractor, the Commissioner however said the contractual agreement is part of an initiative to tackle waste management in the state, and as well tap into the wealth opportunities inherent in waste management.

    “Waste management is now big business. We are pulling out the PSP operators from domestic waste management in the state and they will now concentrate on the commercial waste management and collection which is more lucrative. The new contractor, a renowned international firm, will focus on domestic waste management, and will invest about N85 billion over the next five years,” Adejare said.   And as part of the new drive in this regard, the state will take delivery of 600 units of brand new Mercedez Benz waste compactor vehicles.

    Adejare said that waste management will continue to receive high priority in the state. And as a demonstration of the commitment to this, the state last month, evacuated waste on highways and other public places. He said that in this period, a total of 32,662.00 metric tons of waste was evacuated in the Central, Western and Eastern parts of Lagos; 196,197.00 metric tons of waste was deposited at various landfill sites of Olusosun,  Solous 111, Ewu-Elepe and Epe; Simpson and Agege Transfer Loading Stations evacuated 6,923 waste, while 216 marine waste was evacuated in 13 major water bodies locations in the state.

    Besides, he explained that advocacy and enlightenment on the PSP programme received a boost with waste and environment regeneration campaigns carried out in General Hospitals, Primary Health Care Centres and Private health Care Facilities, while 263 feedbacks came in form of complaints relating to service delivery and online bill reconciliation.

  • AEPB urges residents to pay waste charges

    The Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) has urged residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to pay their waste charges in line with the FCT Environmental Act.

    The board said that residents unwilling to pay their waste charges may risk prosecution, adding that the prompt payment of environmental service bills and provision of waste bins on properties will ensure efficient waste management in the FCT.

    Acting Director AEBP Mrs Omolola Olanipekun, represented by Mr Omoruyi Omogiede, made the call during the AEPB pilot intergrated solid waste management project at the life camp district in Abuja.

    Speaking at a town hall meeting, AEPB informed residents that it carries out its statutory responsibility of cleaning the environment through direct engagement, licensed cleaning contractors and partnership which requires huge sum of money.

    Public Relations Officer (PRO) AEPB Samuel Musa who made this known in a press statement said: “This call was made by the FCT Administration through Abuja Environmental Protection Board during a Town Hall explanatory meeting with residents in Life camp over the weekend. The integrated waste management project awareness programme was jointly organized by AEPB and Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Life Camp District of the FCT.

    ”Residents were reminded of their responsibility of paying their waste service charges in line with the provision of the FCT Environmental Act which stipulates that all residents will have to pay the service charges and failure to pay such charges will adhere to risk prosecution of defaulters.

    ”Speaking at the town hall explanatory meeting the Ag. Director Mrs. Omolola Olanipekun, who was represented by Mr Omoruyi Omogiede said that AEPB carries out its statutory responsibility of cleaning the Environment through direct engagement, licensed cleaning contractors and partnership which required huge sums of money. This meeting with residents provides the enabling environment for enlightenment and creates the awareness for effective waste management within the district.”

     

  • Towards a better waste management regime in Lagos

    Towards a better waste management regime in Lagos

    Waste management or waste disposal has been a challenge for the Lagos State government for decades.

    The government has adopted several strategies to manage the whopping 15,000 tonnes of garbage generated daily in the over-crowded city-state that receives immigrants almost on a daily basis from other parts of the country and beyond.

    Thorough the responsible agency, the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), government had in the past explored several measures such as the use of private sector players (PSP), which are facing stiff competition from the infamous but somewhat preferred cart pushers.

    In a bid to achieve better results, LAWMA has also attempted managing waste through characterisation, improved technology and partnering with other nations.

    However, only limited success has been achieved. Indeed, health hazards due to the activities of the PSPs, the ageing equipment they deploy, sharp practices by cart pushers, and the sorry state of the waste dump sites have all colluded to put the situation in a state of desperation.

    The need for an urgent action to turn around the conditions cannot be over-emphasised.

    In fact, there is the need for an elaborate and standardised regulation of the environment of Lagos State, in line with international best practices, while taking cue from locations such as the United Arab Emirates, Tanzania, Kenya, Namibia, and New York City in the United States.

    Lagos and New York City, for instance, are two mega cities that mean the same in terms of entertainment, commerce and global trends. While Lagos has a population of 21 million with an estimated population density of 13,405/sq.km, New York City has a population of 23 million with a population density of 10,833/sq.km.

    In fact, while New York with its huge population has been able to successfully handle the massive amount of waste generated daily, Lagos, on the other hand, is struggling with storage, collection and disposal of her waste.

    New York has about 120 landfills sites while Lagos has only six landfills, with only three of the six functioning. This is grossly inadequate for the Lagos metropolis, considering that she generates approximately the same amount of waste as New York does, even so, a huge percentage of this is solid waste.

    Aside struggling with disposal of the enormous amount of waste generated daily, Lagos has not been able to effectively collect her waste. This is exemplified as waste littering roadsides, waste being disposed into drainages, and overflowing public bins, among several others. There is a huge gap in collection and the PSP operators obviously struggle with the huge amount of waste they have to collect.

    New York has successfully been able to collect her waste through several methods including government-regulated commercial waste systems in which they have over 250 commercial waste haulers, as well as dispose effectively through recycling methods and landfills. In that part of the world, waste is wealth. In Nigeria, and Lagos to be precise, waste is a curse rather than a blessing – it’s simply a disaster waiting to happen.

    It has been shown that only 60% of the daily wastes collected in New York go to the landfills compared to about 95% in Lagos.

    Lagos must, as a matter of urgency, start recycling as an alternative to landfilling. It has been seen that the heavy reliance on landfills has brought about environmental pollution and several health hazards to residents around the sites as seen in the Olusosun landfill, which today remains the largest landfill site in the country.

    The Olusosun dump site is nothing but as a disaster waiting to happen and the need for a quick action from government is long overdue. The dump site at Isolo also requires an urgent intervention from the authorities.

    There is likewise the need to allow for a coordinated and effective private sector participation in the management of the environment, as well as the provision for an organised judicial framework for the administration of environmental laws in Lagos State in other to make this happen.

    Similarly, there is the need to explore newer methods of collection to help effectively handle the waste generated. Other collection agencies need to be employed as it is obvious that the PSP operators alone can’t handle the massive amount of waste.

    The Akinwunmi Ambode administration should tackle this hydra-headed problem without minding whose ox is gored. The speed and enthusiasm with which the present administration tackled the Light-up Lagos initiative should be deployed to combat this age long problem that has now grown to become a monster.

    The recent clean up exercise embarked upon in highbrow areas of Lagos like Victoria Island, Lekki and Ikoyi should be extended to the waste management sector.

    Government must, as a matter of urgency, seek help from those who have managed waste in mega cities around the world, while bearing in mind the nation’s – and the state’s – peculiar solid waste generation status.

     

    • Samuel, an Environmental rights activist sent this piece from Lagos.

  • ‘We must rid councils, satellite towns of waste’

    The FCT Minister Malam Muhammad Bello has directed that a comprehensive waste evacuation exercise be undertaken in all the council areas as well as satellite communities of the territory.

    The operation is scheduled to last seven days.

    The Acting Director of the Satellite Towns Development Department (STDD) Mrs. Victoria Imande disclosed this, saying that the STDD has concluded arrangements to commence the seven-day exercise.

    Mrs. Imande stated that the FCT Administration is poised to clean up all the nooks and cranny of the satellite towns.

    She solicited for the cooperation and understanding of all the residents of the Federal Capital Territory particularly those resident in the Satellite Towns, by keying into the exercise to make it a success.

    The Director urged the residents to take personal interest in the exercise by owning the initiative and making personal hygiene part of their daily personal lives.

  • ‘We must rid councils, satellite towns of waste’

    The FCT Minister Malam Muhammad Bello has directed that a comprehensive waste evacuation exercise be undertaken in all the council areas as well as satellite communities of the territory.

    The operation is scheduled to last seven days.

    The Acting Director of the Satellite Towns Development Department (STDD) Mrs. Victoria Imande disclosed this, saying that the STDD has concluded arrangements to commence the seven-day exercise.

    Mrs. Imande stated that the FCT Administration is poised to clean up all the nooks and cranny of the satellite towns.

    She solicited for the cooperation and understanding of all the residents of the Federal Capital Territory particularly those resident in the Satellite Towns, by keying into the exercise to make it a success.

    The Director urged the residents to take personal interest in the exercise by owning the initiative and making personal hygiene part of their daily personal lives.

     

  • ‘Mimiko’s eight-year rule has been a waste of resources’

    ‘Mimiko’s eight-year rule has been a waste of resources’

    Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) is a chieftain of the All Progressives Party (APC). He was the governorship candidate of the then defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Ondo State. Akeredolu plans to contest the November governorship election. In this interview with SEGUN AJIBOYE, the former President of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) speaks on his experience in the last election, the proposed primary and other issues.

    Why are you running again?

    It is necessary to have a change in the leadership of Ondo State. Governance in the state has in the last seven years, which will now culminate into eight years before the election, been a waste of resources and one is convinced that the time has come for us to make meaningful in the lives of our people and for them to at least have the impact of meaningful governance. To give the people the benefit of good governance so that they can derive the most which you can get from any government.

    The PDP has maintained that the APC is not on ground in the state. How confident are you that your party can displace the PDP in the election?

    What we need to do is to look at statistics. You see, my confidence is based on and backed by statistics. In the last election, in which you had widespread manipulation, even if we take the figures declared as being right, the LP scored about 35 percent of the votes, we were given 30 percent plus and Olusola Oke was given 30 percent plus. now that Olusola Oke is now in APC, you would agree that the votes that the two of us can gather is enough sign we are not bragging. The defeat which we were able to wreak on the PDP in the presidential election, which of course we won fair and squarely, is fair enough to say that the APC is not bragging. We have members of the House of Representatives and two senators. Can you call that bragging? Sure, that cannot be bragging. We are on ground in Ondo State and we are sure of winning the governorship election.

    How would the APC manage the crowd of aspirants that have shown interest in the ticket?

    Our party, the ACN at the time, did not fall victim of the crowd of aspirants as you put it. The party adopted a method to pick its candidate. Well, a number of people reacted to it and raised objection, which I believe have been taken into consideration by the party to have a full-fledge primary. With this method now, I believe that there cannot be any form of trouble that the party cannot handle. We are all members of the same family, and by the time of getting the nomination form, we would begin to understand what to do. I am also sure that after the primary, every other person would come forward to support whoever wins. Don’t forget that I have always said that primary is an essential part of party politics. All of us submit ourselves to the process, and for me, if you submit yourself to a process, you have to abide with the outcome of that process.

    You’ll agree that Governor Mimiko is one shrewd politician. How do you intend to beat him at his own game?

    Mimiko believes he is strong, but he was bruised and battered in the last presidential election. He was there and he campaigned for Jonathan, but he lost woefully. Mimiko’s time has come and gone. There is nothing like Mimiko again in Ondo State. I think what he is trying to do now is to see if he can have a situation whereby he would set, maybe Akure people, against other people. He wants to set the people against one another.

    What particular lesson did you take away from the experience of 2011?

    The major lesson that I took away from the last election is that, on the last day, particularly on the day of election, you need a core of dedicated people to serve, whether as agents or representatives, or to do things for you. You cannot afford to leave that important aspect of electioneering in the hands of people who are not committed to your cause or the party. people are simply after money. When you have people who are more or less traders, then you are in trouble. So, we would try now to win the primary. After that, we would go ahead to get people who believe in our cause. Any dedicated party man would be will to sacrifice anything for the success of his party. That is one particular lesson that I have learnt, that you don’t go around with people who don’t believe in your cause.

    What would be your main goal as governor?

    You know that the major responsibility of government is to provide security for your people. And in the light of the problems that we have had, job creation is key to everything. And there is no way that we can continue like this without creating jobs. These would be my major goals. And when I say that Mimiko has failed, let him point to one thing or one major outfit that he established that has created jobs for a thousand people. He claimed he was doing something about agriculture, that he had Ore. But the place is now totally abandoned and has been overtaken by bush. The boys came to complain that they were not paid, and they left the place. H also claimed that he had a ranch, there is no single cow there now. He and I know that agriculture is key, because of all the value chain that it will bring and the employment that will follow it is very important for everybody. We made a lot of money. Aside from Lagos, Ondo State is about the only state that has received the largest allocation.  Why is that for eight years, he abandoned a state university, and just at the last hour rushed back there to say he is doing something. Meanwhile, he established a new university. You don’t have to abandon the university in Okitipupa because you want to have a university in Ondo. I am not against establishing anything in Ondo, but you don’t have to cripple the other one because of that. I expect him to build on whatever infrastructure that he met on ground. A number of us have thought that we should have a harbor today, but we don’t have it, despite the fact that we have the longest coastline. We have the Olokola Free Trade Zone project. We had Dangote who showed interest in it, and I think he should made sure that Dangote builds his factory there.

    Looking at the financial status of the states, what is that thing that is motivating you to run?

    When the going gets tough, only the tough gets going. I am somebody with absolute confidence in my capabilities and capacity. I am never afraid of anything. I often guided by a song by Fela Anikulapo Kuti that says ‘Na goat dey run. A man will stand’. I am a man and I am ready to face anything. That has been my approach. If you recollect my message when I was running for the presidency of the NBA, my campaign mantra was ‘prosecuting our conviction with courage’. So, for me, whatever the problem may be, it is one that a courageous person can tackle. A man who has a vision will see beyond today. And I can see beyond today, the economy of Nigeria will not remain like this forever. I am a man of faith, and in my time, I believe the economy will be good. Even if the economy nosedives, the best of a good leader is to manage the affairs of the state within the resources he has. There are many things that the governor can cut down on. All these we would take into consideration when we get to office. I tell you, the problem is that our people spend too much on frivolities, which they have refused to cut down.

    What would you describe as your achievements as a technocrat?

    You are asking me to blow my own trumpet. But, why not blow it? I have not been a technocrat all my life. I had been the attorney-general of my state, which means running a ministry. I was the Chairman of Legal Aid Council of Nigeria. And my records are there to show. As the attorney-general, we laid a foundation that other states are now trying to follow. The governor then, Onyeregbulem was riding a 504 car, but we made sure that the chief judge had a Mercedes car. It was after we did it in Ondo State that the Supreme Court judges were given Mercedes cars. I did all that because I believed that we needed to enhance the status of judges. All my life as bar activist, I have fought for improving the status and remuneration of judges.

    How do you intend to resolve the quagmire in Owo and Akoko politics, particularly considering the number of aspirants from the senatorial zone?

    We are where we are today because of our disconnect with history. You see, a number of us contesting do have a disconnect with history. I take the north senatorial district, comprising Akoko, Owo and Ose, and I try to trace the history of our political relationship. There has always been this relationship among us, so there is no need for any conflict. But, I know that we are going to resolve it at the end of the day. You see, our sense of equity will help us to resolve it. When you talk of a sense of history, we have had Baba Adekunle Ajasin from Owo/Ose, who had been governor. We had Baba Adebayo Adebafarati from Akoko. He too had been governor. When he was governor, we had the senator from Owo/Ose. But now, we have a second term senator from Akoko, so why do we have this problem. In the last eight years, we have had two deputy governors from Akoko, it has produced senators. So, with this, I know that the people will reason, even if the aspirants refuse to reason. The people’s sense of history and equity will prevail at the end of the day. We are all part of the same family, and we cannot afford to alienate a section of the family. We have had a governor form the south for six years. We have a governor from the cntral for eight years. So, naturally, our sense of fair play, equity and history would prevail.

  • Tackling tomato waste challenge

    Tackling tomato waste challenge

    Tomato is produced in commercial quantities in the North. But post-harvest losses are becoming a concern for farmers. This is because of poor preservation and its attendant waste, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    For tomato farmers in the North, moving produce to urban markets could be a nightmare — and a race against time. They must navigate bad roads from their farms, which takes hours; at the end, the produce rot.

    On the average, tomato growers lose 40 percent of their produce to rot because of lack of refrigerated trucking, bad roads and inclement weather and corruption.

    In most tomato producing towns in the region, fetid odour of decaying tomatoes welcomes visitors while overripe tomatoes which can’t withstand further transportation hassles are tossed aside, crushed underfoot, or dumped in overflowing garbage sites.

    Heaps of rotten tomatoes are found in Kano and other states which grow the produce. These have translated into lower incomes for farmers.

    With the ex-farm price of tomatoes as low as N200 per basket, loss-making farmers have no choice but to destroy the excess as it would cost them more to ferry it to markets than what they can get in return.

    Indeed, tomato farmers are producing at a loss but cannot stop because it is part of the staple food in the country.

    The Deputy Team Leader, Growth and Employment in States – Wholesale and Retail Sector (GEMS4), Mr Olatunde Oderinde, said lack of processing facilities for tomato in some parts of the North has caused a glut, resulting in some thousands tonnes of the produce wasting.

    The yearly loss, according to him, is as result of poor food supply chain management, price instability – no thanks to seasonal fluctuation in production, the supply and the absence of processors.

    He noted that the glut has made it  unprofitable for farmers to grow  the crop in some northern states, where prices dropped from N5,000 to N300 per big basket.

    He said that in developed economies, compared to Nigeria, the industry is characterised by efficient farming, adequate refrigeration, and top-notch transportation and communication which ensure that tomatoes make it to the market fresh.

    To him, finding a lasting solution to tomato wastage has become a major concern for the project.

    The major mandate of GEMS4, he added, is to create more business choices for farmers by facilitating linkages between small tomato farmers and processing plants to enable them serve each other on a commercial basis.

    It also involves linking the processing plants to markets through micro distribution and retailing initiatives.

    In line with this, GEMS4 has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Spring Field Agro Nigeria Limited. The pact encourages the company to accept produce from local farmers for processing to save them from spoilage.

    Also, the deal is to promote food safety practices among the farmers and their produce through the value.

    On the part of Spring Field Agro Nigeria Limited there is a massive arrangement to address the problem.

    The programme revolves around a processing plant at Ikara Area of Kaduna State to receive produce immediately the farmers bring them from the farm.

    The company took over Ikara Tomato Processing Company, from the Kaduna State government in 2014, on a lease arrangement for 10 years. The leasing would be reviewed after every five years.

    For over 21 years, the Ikara Tomatoes Processing Company was shut.

    The plant processes 100 metric tonnes of tomatoes daily. There is also  a commitment to work with surrounding small tomato  farmers through an “out grower” programme.

    The Group Deputy Managing Director, Kewalram Chanrai Group, owners of Springfield Agro Limited, Mr. Victor Eburajolo, maintained that though in the past tomato farmers in Ikara were recording losses as a result of glut, now that the processing company is back, tomatoes produced in the state would no longer waste.

    On the whole, no matter where waste occurs, Eburajolo noted that it represents a lost opportunity to feed people.

    Apart from operating a plant with an installed capacity for processing of 16,950 tonnes of tomato, Eburajolo said the company has 700 hectares of land purposely for tomato farming. So far, the company efforts and the farmers’ engagement have already paid off. The farmers are supplying the company with tomato  produce and this will not only ensure greater income to them s but will also increase their crops’ added value to meet growing agribusiness demand. The company also facilitates access to input, such as seed and advisory services.

    Given the enormous quantities of tomatoes Nigeria consumes, keeping on top of the work requires the company to operate a functional tomato processing plant. This informed the decision to  give out part of its farmland to farmers to cultivate tomatoes for the plant.

    The Managing Director, Springfield Agro Limited, Mr Tarun Das explained that tomato is a perishable item that loses its value the moment it is removed from the farm.

    Also, farmers lose baskets of tomatoes that get rotten daily because they are not sold on time.

    Das attributed this to lack of facilities for preserving tomatoes, adding that the factory will help them to process the produce.

    This would help to reduce wastage and encourage the industry to produce locally.

    To supply the facility, he said the  factory sources tomatoes from its farms and other small farmers.

    Besides, giving out some lands to  growers for planting, he added that the farmers would be given improved seeds to increase yields and income. The factory will then buy the produce at competitive rates.

    The company has 100 staff.  Das said the company produces 100 tonnes  of tomato paste dail – about 2000 metric tonnes monthly.

    Das said there is potential for growth in consumption of processed tomatoes, especially when the crop is out of season.

    Nigeria has an annual demand of 2.3 million metric tonnes of tomatoes.

    Production stands at 1.8 million metric tonnes, 40 per cent of which is lost to waste, leaving a short fall of 1.22 million metric tonnes.

    About half of the local tomato crop rots because of a lack of storage facilities, poor pricing and access to markets, which has prompted many farmers to stop cultivation.

  • IDPs turn waste to wealth

    IDPs turn waste to wealth

    The sting of Boko Haram is wearing off at a camp sheltering people displaced by the insurgents in Yola, the Adamawa State capital. Women are finding happiness and fortune by making household items from disused materials. FRANK IKPEFAN reports

    The insurgents will probably be shocked and disappointed that women who were lucky to escape their assaults are leading happy lives, making money and sending their children to school. Some internally displaced women trained to make bags, mats and wallets, among other things, from discarded items have been training other women. The women sell their products and use the proceeds to look after their families, including paying their children’s school fees.

    Madam Esther Emmanuel, one of the women, learned the skill, in 2012, at a waste-to-wealth programme of the American University of Nigeria (AUN) owned by former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar. The United Nations funded the programme.

    Since 2012, Emmanuel has been working at the Women Development Centre, located in Yola South. The programme, which had 25 women at inception, now boasts 300 women displaced by the insurgency in the Northeast.

    She teaches a group of other women how to make money from waste. When not training them, she is making such items as bags from which she makes up to N10, 000 a month. The money, she told our reporter, takes care of the needs of her family.

    “Since I came here,” she said, “everything has changed. I make money from this work to take care of my family.”

    She said the waste-to-wealth programme of the AUN has become a source of wealth for other IDPs in the state capital. “As the leader of the women, I teach them how to make wallets from nylon. We also make mats and different forms of bags from what other people throw away. Some of us now take care of our families and our children’s school fees through this venture,” she said.

    She said she loves what she is doing and that she likes being with people and training them. She is happy when she sees them happy and improving their lives.

    “I love coming here every time,” she said. “These women are part of my joy. I am glad I have been able to improve their lives.”

    She also works for the local government at the Women’s Development Centre where they teach women other basic skills such as sewing, baking, reading and writing. Her monthly salary is N52,000.

    For Madam Cecilia Yohana, another beneficiary of the programme, said things have changed for the better.

    Cecilia, who could not read or write before the programme, is now one of the leaders of the groups. The programme has bolstered her confidence to the extent that she now serves as an instructor and can train over 100 people with precision.

    She said she makes phone pouches for Madam President (Vice-Chancellor of the institution) when she travels. Empowered with the skills gained from the centre, her enterprise fetches her a minimum of N40, 000 a month, she told the reporter.

    ”I  have been able to learn new things while also improving my reading and writing. I now attend computer classes to learn how to use the computer and I have been able to buy school books for my children. The programme has helped me to become an income earner for my household,” she said.

    Coordinator of the programme, Jennifer Che said AUN initiated the programme to train women because of the amount of waste generated  in Yola.

    “The first thing that impacts us as foreigners when we come to Yola is the waste. They are thrown everywhere. We are not used to that. In Europe you don’t see rubbish on the street, not in this amount. So it is quite shocking”, she said.

    Che said further: “We train several women from various NGOs on how to process these nylon bags into objects of art, handbags and purses. You will see various examples. We have a core group of a 100 to 200 ladies that we have trained here from Yola. One hundred of them come regularly and we train every Wednesday at AUN. By now we have both the masters’ trainers that have reached the top level and they actually train the new member.”

    Che explained that the project has attracted a grant of about N8.8 million from of Exxon Mobil in two installments.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Nigerians in Diaspora to bring in waste management experts

    Nigerians in the Diaspora have promised to get investors to harness the potential in waste deposits in Lagos State.

    The United Kingdom All Progressives Congress (UK APC) Chairman, Mr. Abiodun Ali, made this known at a meeting with the Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare.

    According to Ali, the project, when fully on stream, will earn huge revenue for the state, adding that it will also create several job opportunities.

    He said: “We are here because we are very concerned about the Nigerian environment and, particularly, Lagos State environment. We have met the Lagos State Commissioner for Environment to discuss partnership on how to invest in the Lagos environment.

    “We, in the diaspora, can help in this area. There is no much awareness on how to  keep a better environment by our people. The government is sending a lot of money to maintain a healthy environment.  We have suggested that effort should be redoubled create awareness on how the people can inculcate a better environment.

    “Those who drop waste into the drainage should be sanctioned. This is because anytime there is rain the whole place will be flooded. This can lead to a situation where the people will abandon their houses if they are submerged by water,” he said.

    “There is lot of money to be made in environmental development. We are looking at the area of waste water management, waste disposal and the turning of waste to wealth.

    “This will create conducive environment and generate job opportunities for our teeming unemployed youth. There are lots of thing in the areas that refuse are dump which can be turned to money.

    “That can also help the state to generate fund to finance some of its projects. The state cannot fund everything that is why we are talking of partnership with the government to assist the state. Government is going to make lots of money we cannot quantify because we are talking in terms of billions of dollars. Government is going make lots of money from the investors when they come.”

    Adejare  said the state was willing to partner organisations and individuals to make the state better.

    He said the government was working on proposals and projects that would make the state safe, clean and friendly, noting that it was high time people made cleanliness a way of life in view of the spread of diseases, such as Lassa Fever and others.