The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has commenced a sweeping reform of Nigeria’s waste management system, beginning with a pilot project in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Ibrahim Musa, technical assistant (intergovernmental relations) to Innocent Barikor, the director-general of NESREA, spoke on Tuesday during NESREA Half Hour, an environmental enlightenment programme on National Traffic Radio 107.1 FM, Abuja.
Musa said Nigeria’s waste management challenges mirror global realities but are worsened by structural defects, outdated laws, weak enforcement, poor public awareness and the absence of safe disposal standards.
He added that rapid population growth, fast-paced urbanisation and rising waste volumes have overwhelmed existing waste handling systems nationwide.
To address the gaps, he said NESREA, in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) under the montevideo programme V, has launched a transformative waste management reform aimed at strengthening laws, institutions and operational systems across the country.
According to him, the reform will overhaul the entire waste management framework by improving waste collection and disposal systems and embedding environmentally sound and safe practices.
A critical component of the initiative, Musa said, is the formal recognition and protection of informal waste pickers and waste recovery workers, who play a major role in Nigeria’s recycling chain. The reform seeks to integrate them into a regulated waste value chain, providing safety support, health care and improved working conditions.
He added that the project also promotes circular economy principles, including recycling, reuse and resource efficiency, in line with global best practices.
