The Ogun State Waste Management Authority (OGWAMA) has warned industries operating in the state against burning waste, indiscriminate dumping of industrial waste in public spaces and operating illegal dumpsites.

The authority also urged industries to embrace circular economy principles and innovative waste management practices to reduce waste generation, improve production efficiency and create additional economic value.

The Special Adviser and Managing Director of OGWAMA, Farouk Akintunde, gave the warning yesterday at the 3rd Annual Workshop on Industrial Waste Management held in Abeokuta, the state capital.

The workshop, with the theme, “Beyond Compliance: Embedding Circular Economy Principles and Innovations into Industrial Waste Management in Ogun State,” focused on encouraging industries to move beyond regulatory compliance towards sustainable practices that turn waste into useful resources.

Akintunde urged industries to properly declare their waste volumes and desist from practices that violate the state’s environmental regulations, including waste burning, indiscriminate dumping and the operation of illegal dumpsites.

He said such practices contravened the provisions of the OGWAMA Law 2020, particularly Section 27, warning that industries found violating the law would face appropriate sanctions.

Rather than flouting environmental regulations, Akintunde urged industries to comply with the state’s industrial waste management laws and approach the authority whenever they encountered challenges in managing their waste.

He said OGWAMA had also addressed outstanding commercial and industrial waste payments owed to Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators before his assumption of office, while ensuring prompt payment of subsequent obligations.

According to him, the current edition of the workshop was designed to promote value creation by encouraging industries to transform materials previously regarded as waste into useful resources.

He said OGWAMA was ready to partner with industries in developing sustainable solutions to waste management challenges and promoting innovation across the sector.

Akintunde listed some initiatives undertaken by the authority to strengthen its operations, including the refurbishment of moribund compactors in its fleet and the acquisition of new ones for improved waste management services across the state.

He encouraged industries to adopt circular economy principles, saying the approach could reduce the volume of waste generated, improve production efficiency and create additional revenue opportunities for businesses.

Describing Ogun as Nigeria’s industrial capital, Akintunde stressed the need for collective action among government agencies, industries and other stakeholders to develop sustainable waste management practices in the state.

He reaffirmed the authority’s commitment to working with industries to promote circular economy principles and innovative approaches to industrial waste management.