Seek united front on policy, investment

Stakeholders in Nigeria’s recycling industry have called for a stronger and more coordinated voice to address challenges confronting the sector, including limited access to finance, multiple taxation, poor market access, inadequate infrastructure and policies affecting recycling businesses.

The stakeholders, drawn from major recycling and waste management associations, made the call at a meeting of the Waste Recyclers Council of Nigeria, where participants emphasised the need to end fragmentation within the sector and build a common platform for engagement with government, investors and other stakeholders.

The meeting brought together representatives of the Lagos Recyclers Association, Recyclers Association of Nigeria, Waste Pickers Association of Nigeria, United Waste Recycling and Suppliers Association of Nigeria, and the Association of Scraps and Waste Pickers of Lagos, among others.

Chairman of the Waste Recyclers Council of Nigeria, Babatunde Adebayo, said the Council was established to bring together different associations operating across the recycling value chain and ensure that stakeholders no longer worked separately on issues affecting their collective interests.

Adebayo said the recycling sector was often narrowly associated with PET bottles, despite the wide range of materials and activities involved in the industry.

According to him, recycling goes beyond PET, cartons, nylon and other commonly recognised materials, stressing the need for greater public understanding of the scope and economic importance of the sector.

He also called for greater recognition among associations within the industry, noting that leaders of recycling bodies were sometimes present at conferences and industry events without being properly acknowledged.

Adebayo, who said that the Council was expected to play a broader role in shaping the future of the recycling industry and making the sector attractive to younger generations, urged stakeholders to see recycling not merely as a means of survival but as a viable and sustainable sector capable of creating employment, wealth and long-term business opportunities.

Secretary-General of the Council, Victor Okunola, took members through developments since the Council’s previous meetings, including efforts to strengthen its structure, improve its visibility and advance its registration process.

Okunola said the Council had held several meetings since its first gathering in 2023 and continued to expand its membership and activities.

He said discussions at previous meetings had focused on the Council’s registration, funding structure, membership and the review of its constitution.

A member of the Board of Trustees of the Council, Dr Oluwafemi Idowu Adegoke, traced the origin of the Council to concerns about the fragmented nature of the recycling industry.

Adegoke said stakeholders had realised that different associations were facing similar problems but were addressing them independently.
According to him, operators were often working in silos, creating a situation where businesses and associations lacked the collective strength needed to negotiate better opportunities and protect their interests.

National Vice President of the Waste Pickers Association of Nigeria (WAPAN), Modupe Adelaja, said waste pickers were at the frontline of the recovery of recyclable materials from communities across the country.

She said the activities of waste pickers were crucial to the recycling value chain, as they collect, recover, sort and aggregate materials before supplying them to recycling businesses.

WAPAN, she said, has more than 10,000 members operating across the country.

However, the stakeholders maintained that the sector had significant potential for job creation and economic development and should receive greater recognition from financial institutions and government agencies.

Multiple taxation and levies imposed on recycling businesses were also identified as major concerns.

Participants called for a more coordinated approach to taxation and regulation, saying that recycling operators should not be subjected to overlapping charges from different levels and agencies of government.

The stakeholders equally raised the issue of standards and professionalism within the sector, calling for better organisation of recycling businesses and waste workers.

They also discussed the need for Nigeria to move beyond the collection and export of recyclable materials towards greater local processing and manufacturing, noting that materials, such as plastics, paper, metals and other recyclables, could generate greater economic value when processed locally.

They called for increased investment in recycling infrastructure, research, laboratories and technology, among others, that could help identify, classify and process recyclable materials.