Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) in collaboration with Ororo Waste Management Limited, Shell Foundation and the Waste Pickers Association of Nigeria (WAPAN), has commenced a two-day capacity-building programme aimed at integrating waste pickers, market women and youths into the formal Used Cooking Oil (UCO) collection value chain in Lagos State.

The training, held at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Alausa, Ikeja, was designed to equip participants with the knowledge and practical skills required for safe collection, handling, storage and transportation of used cooking oil, while creating sustainable livelihood opportunities.

The initiative forms part of the strategic partnership between Ororo Waste Management Limited and the Lagos State Government to expand household used cooking oil collection across the State through LASEPA’s network of 21 zonal offices.
 
The participants, numbering about two hundred and fifty, drawn from various communities across Lagos, including members of WAPAN, market women and youths representing different ethnic groups, received intensive training on quality assurance, traceability, environmental best practices and the economic value of used cooking oil as a vital feedstock for the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and biodiesel.
 
Speaking during the training, Mrs. Adebiyi Atinuke, one of the facilitators, expressed satisfaction with the overwhelming response from participants, noting that public perception about the value of used cooking oil is gradually changing.
 She explained that many people initially doubted that used vegetable oil could generate income, but the training had successfully demonstrated its economic and environmental value.
 
According to her, the programme is designed to financially empower market women and youths, particularly young people seeking sustainable means of livelihood, while also contributing to improved public health through proper disposal of used cooking oil.
 
Atinuke disclosed that participation in the programme was completely free, with organisers providing transportation for participants to and from the training venue.
 
She further recommended sustained public enlightenment through market sensitisation campaigns and grassroots engagement to encourage wider participation and increase awareness of the initiative.
 
She added that the financial incentive attached to used cooking oil collection serves as a major motivation for residents, as individuals receive payment for every quantity of used oil they supply through the collection network.
 
Also speaking, the Director of Operations, Ororo Waste Management Limited, Mr. Olaitan Dawodu, explained that while the company’s initial focus was on collecting used cooking oil from restaurants and hotels, the programme with the support of Shell Foundation, now seeks to extend collection to households through a structured community-based supply chain.
 
He explained that waste pickers will collect used cooking oil from households, market women and other designated collection points before transporting it to community collection kiosks where trained youths will conduct quality checks before the oil is moved into the recycling value chain.
 
Dawodu noted that every participant within the supply chain—including market women, waste pickers and youths—will earn income for their respective roles, creating an inclusive circular economy that generates employment while protecting human health and the environment.
 
He explained that extensive sensitisation was carried out across markets and communities before the training to encourage participation, he demonstrated how the initiative can increase household incomes through the collection of used cooking oil.
 
According to him, the programme also seeks to educate residents on the health risks associated with repeatedly used cooking oil for food preparation while promoting proper disposal practices that protect both public health and the environment.
 
He therefore encouraged residents to utilise the growing network of used cooking oil collection points located at LASEPA’s zonal offices, Laddo Filing Stations, participating markets and other designated centres, stressing that collective participation will support environmental sustainability while creating additional economic opportunities for Lagos residents.