NOSDRA, WAMASON to draft national waste control bill

In a bid to ensure an effective management of waste in Nigeria, the Wastes Management Society of Nigeria (WAMASON) and the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) may soon come up with a document that would be known as the National Waste Management Control Bill.

The Bill, if eventually sees the light of the day would prescribe guidelines and standards to ensure success of Ogoni Clean up Programmes.

The duo last week renewed their commitment to ensure the success of the vision, which also aimed at professionalizing environmentally sound waste supervision to a safe, healthy and economic development in the country.

According to the President of multi-stakeholder organization, Prof. Oladele Osibanjo, who visited the Director General of NOSDRA, Peter Idabor in his office in Abuja, the Bill was necessary in the country to streamline activities of the waste managers in Nigeria.

Osibanjo who also congratulated the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari for the kick-off of Ogoniland, said the decision was a welcome idea, which was long overdue.

On the proposed bill, he said, it would serve as National Waste Management framework, adding that, it would comprehensively put into consideration the entire waste system and integrate all aspects of management ranging from planning, funding/commercialization to technical operations.

He argued that the draft bill would also look at institutionizing cost recovery to stimulate private sector investment in the waste industry, “An effective control of the industry and environmentally sound management is not negotiable.”

“We have keenly watched the agency for rising to the challenges of oil spill detection response for sustainable environmental protection and effects at promoting compliance with extant regulations on multimedia pollution control since assumption of office a year ago.”