The Union Environment Ministry is working with the European Union, the Economic Community of West African States and other stakeholders to develop the National Circular Economy Map.
The roadmap will guide Nigeria’s transition to a circular economy in the short, medium and long term from 2023 to 2050.
A circular economy is an alternative to a linear economy that provides for the creation of products, the use of products and the disposal of products. It ensures closing material loops through repair, reuse, recycling, refurbishing and remanufacturing of end-of-life products.
A circular economy is a model of production and consumption that involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing products and materials whenever possible.
Paving the way for a circular economy will help create new jobs, avoid future disruptions and build resilience, reports Punch, while addressing many ongoing crises, from resource scarcity to biodiversity and climate change.
Speaking on Thursday at a one-day stakeholder validation workshop for the Nigeria circular map organized by the FMoE in collaboration with the EU delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, the Permanent Secretary of the FMOE, Ibrahim Yusufu, said the Nigeria circular economy plan was established. Promoting the adoption of circular economy as a model of sustainable development where the productive use of resources is improved over time, waste is reduced and jobs are created.
Yusufu, who was represented by the ministry’s Director of Human Resources, Lawrence Adikwe, said Nigeria generates about 32 million tonnes of solid waste annually, with little or no segregation, which is illegally dumped in open spaces or dumped together with hazardous waste. Garbage and apparently burned.
According to him, unsanitary practices have been linked to perennial flash floods, increased respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, increased incidence of cancer, loss of aquatic life and loss of agricultural production across the country.
He noted that due to the large amount of waste generated in the country, there are circular economy business opportunities across the waste management value chain, which should be properly harnessed for job creation, wealth creation, establishment of micro, small and medium enterprises and private sector investments. including foreign direct investment.
“For Nigeria to benefit from its circular economy potential, the study 'Nigeria’s Transition to a Green Economy: Linking Circular Economy and Natural Capital for Public-Private Co-investment’ was launched with the support of the African Development Bank of the Government of the Netherlands and the African Green Growth and Development Forum, as part of NCEP’s Development Process.
“The objective of the study is to carry out feasibility studies of all circular economy and natural capital accounting activities in the country and develop a circular economy road map framework to guide Nigeria’s economy in the short, medium and long term (2023-2050).
“It is on this note that the European Union through the Green Transition Facility is providing support to the development of the Nigeria Circle Map and an inaugural stakeholder workshop was held on August 17, 2023, during which the draft roadmap was presented to stakeholders for their comments and input.”
Policy Adviser, Economic Affairs and Policy Diplomacy, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Opeyemi Oriniwo, said the workshop would help to have an integrated framework for transitioning from a linear economy to a circular economy.
Oriniovo affirmed that the circular economy will create a continuous cycle where nothing is wasted in the economy and pollution is eliminated.
“The roadmap is to bring stakeholders together and set up a framework that belongs to the entire system and stakeholders in the country, not just the government, but it will be delivered to homes based on how we dispose of our waste, electricity and others.
„According to the United Nations Environment Programme, the circular economy is estimated to have an annual investment potential of $3tn for Africa. Imagine if Nigeria could access 50 per cent of those resources for investment; this opens up new opportunities for the country,” he said.
On her part, the Head of Green and Digital Economy, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Inga Stefanowicz, said the development of the roadmap for the circular economy is financed by the transition to green facilities and provides experts and costs. Work.
“The work is done primarily with the FMoE to look at the policy position and the need to implement and enforce the policy.
„We support the government to prepare and adopt a plastic waste regulation, which is another way to implement the circular economy in the country,” Stefanovic noted.
He declared that the circular economy would boost the economy, help establish businesses and create jobs.