Federal and State Governments have been called upon to invest in the conversion of solid waste into electricity to engender sustainable development in the country.
Some experts made the call in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) across the states.
They noted that the quantum of solid waste in the country could sustain power plants that depend on solid waste.
Dr Ifediora Amobi, an economist and former Executive Director of African Heritage Institution (Afri-Heritage) formerly African Institute for Applied Economics (AIAE), urged government to invest in waste-to-wealth.
According to him, states and cities in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt have capacity to host these solid waste conversion to electricity plants.
“The plant would create tenths of direct job and thousands of indirect jobs to artisans and companies using the electricity so generated.
“Government functionaries could also invite expatriates to invest in solid waste conversion into electricity; which would be a direct foreign investor and foreign exchange flow for the cities and the country in general.
“This would make for a sustainable environment as well as create jobs and stimulate productiveness of many people in cottage industries and one-man businesses/ventures in these places,’’ he said.
Also, Malam Ahmed Salihu, Director of Environment, Kaduna State Ministry for Environment, said that plans to generate electricity from domestic waste had gone far in the state.
According to him, the plan is to transform waste into huge employment opportunities.
“We have already entered into discussion with the Federal Ministry of Environment and had shown interest to partner with us to make the project a reality.
“The waste generation has become a major challenge to the state and we need to be taken advantage of the situation.
“Therefore, turning the waste into energy or electricity is inevitable to save humanity and the environment,” he said.
Salihu said the Kaduna recycling plant, located along Kaduna-Abuja Highway, had reached 80 per cent completion as the needed machinery had been installed.
He said that used plastic and nylons are being used as raw materials for the plant; this will complement government’s effort in ensuring the state is flood free during rainy season.
“This initiative will also generate revenue for the state government as recycled products will be sold to residents at a cheaper price.
“The plant is expected to create employment for at least 2000 youths in the state,“ Salihu said.
NAN gathered that Enugu State generated about 300 tonnes of solid waste daily from its urban metropolis such as Enugu, Nsukka and Odi/Oji River.
While the solid waste is evacuated and sent to re-fill sites in the outskirts of these cities since the state do not have a recycling machine or incineration plant.
The Managing Director of Enugu Waste Management Authority (ESWAMA), Mrs. Amaka Anajemba, noted that ESWAMA had been able to evacuate solid waste in the three metropolises on a daily basis.
“We have been on top of the game of evacuating refuse and disposals as our workers work round the clock including Sundays and public holidays to ensure that there is no spill-over of refuse in any of our receptacles in neighbourhoods.
“However, we are deploying more trucks and engaging in partnership with the private sector to further spread our reach in the state,’’ Anajemba said.
In Ebonyi, NAN gathered that the multi-million naira waste recycling plant started by the state government was yet to reach 50 per cent completion.
Therefore, Social and Economic stakeholders in the state have urged the state government to expeditiously complete the plant to generate, improve electricity and the internally generated revenue of the state.
Chief Samuel Nkwede, a senior staff of the Government House, Abakaliki noted that machines for the project have been imported and kept inside the government house premises.
“We call for the quick completion of the project for the installation of the machines which might depreciate due to the way they are presently dumped,” he said.
Mrs Jane Obi, a Staff of the State Ministry of Environment said that the state generates much amount of waste that could be converted to electricity.
In Abia, Ms Chinecherem Nwoko, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Solid Minerals Development, said that the state government would soon enter into partnership with the African Development Bank on solid waste management.
Nwoko told NAN in Umuahia, that the bank had indicated interest in collaborating with the ministry on how to convert the waste to energy.
She said that the ministry had also received series of proposals on waste management and was currently studying them.
‘’Waste management is capital intensive and government alone cannot do it so we have the plan to go into negotiation for a Public Private Partnership initiative,’’ she said. (NAN)