Nigeria flags off "waste to wealth" project in Abia
Introduction
Following the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology and the Council for Entrepreneurs for Africa (COEFA) Canada in 2015, on National Waste to Wealth programme, several activities including the road map have been designed to commence its implementation. The Programme is an initiative aimed at using appropriate technologies to achieve sustainable waste management strategy to overcome the adverse impacts of poor management of waste in the country.
The implementation of the Programme is focused on the following thematic areas:
i. Orientation and engagement of major stakeholders on proper waste management.
ii. Facilities/Implementation.
iii. Employment and Wealth Creation.
Objectives
This National Flagship programme aims at achieving the following specific objectives;
a. To review trends, challenges and opportunities related to waste management in Nigeria, and in particular the National Waste to Wealth Initiative.
b. To thoroughly sensitize all strategic stakeholders on the strategic objectives of the program and their roles in its implementation.
c. To review and adopt the implementation plan at both National and Sub-National levels.
d. To gain stakeholder confidence and acceptance of key action/ steps and the technology/ logic behind them.
The National Waste to Wealth Program seeks to assiduously curb the menace associated with waste in many parts of the country, use the program as a means to promoting indigenous technology, transforming waste to wealth, employment generation and promoting a sustainable well-being for the citizens at large.
To buttress the program, six (6) states were approved nationally for the establishment of pilot plants. The States are Cross River State (South-South), Abia State (South-East), Ondo State (South- West), Benue State (North Central) Gombe (North East) and Jigawa State (North-West).
It is obvious that the choice of Abia state amidst other states of southeastern Nigeria as location is not far from the facts that Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu’s led administration has ignited many development activities, created national and global awareness on the innovative and entrepreneurial skills abound in the state, enabled several development activities leading to generation of all sorts of wastes that urgently need higher management approaches as being proposed. Also, the ingenuity of Abians in Innovations and production of locally fabricated products from organic materials must have informed the decision in choosing Abia as pilot state in South Eastern Nigeria.
The Hon. Minister of Science and Technology Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu flagged off the programme after the Governor’s welcome address.
Flagship Programme/Implementation Strategy: How will it be organized?
The flagship/flag-off event followed the constitution of state technical/working committee under the supervision of Abia state Ministry of Industry, Science and Technology.
The state technical/working committee led by Mr. Uchenna Onyeizu will also serve as Local Organizing Committee (LOCs) for proper engagement of the State with the focal Ministry, which is the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology.
In addition, the state government has also provided a 30-Hectare of Land at Ala-Achacha Owoelu in Owo-Elu Town (Ndiakata Autonomous Community) Obingwa LGA located in-between Aba and Umuahia (where most of the wastes in the state are generated) for the sighting and establishment of the waste-to-wealth recycling plant.
This event was attended by participants from;
I. Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, Research Institutes, Universities and private sectors.
II. Policy makers from the three tiers of government, political leaders.
III. State Ministries of Sciences and Technology, State Ministries of Environment, State Ministries of Water resources, Agriculture and Ministries of Local Government etc.
IV. Environment and Technology experts/practitioners
V. Donor agencies and International Development Agencies working in the Environment and Technology Space.
VI. Selected local Entrepreneurs.
VII. Civil society groups
VIII. The Organized Private Sector (OPS)
Culled from Abia Online.
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