By Kingsley Adegboye

Lagos State Government is set to establish facilities for the take off of its waste-to- wealth programme in the five divisions of the state. The facilities will convert various types of waste to different useful components by different proponents as recommended by the standing technical committee on the establishment of waste-to-wealth in the state comprising relevant line ministries and agencies.

Waste-to-wealth is the act of converting waste to useful material resources like energy, compost, ethanol and water which reduces the volume of waste that end up at the landfill sites thereby conserving land resources of the State.

Dr. Muiz Adeyemi Banire, Hon. Commissioner for the Environment (2nd R); Eng. Muyideen Akinsanya, Perm. Sec. (Office of Drainage Services), Ministry of the Env. (R); Dr. (Mrs.) Titi Anibaba, Perm. Sec (Office of Environmental Serv.), Ministry of the Env.(L) and Mr. Ranti Odutola, Perm. Sec., Ministry of Information and Strategy (2nd L).

Making this know while appraising the performance of the State Ministry of the Environment in the last four years at the weekend, Dr. Muiz Banire, the Environment Commissioner noted that the waste – to – wealth programme of the Ministry has successfully obtained the approval of the State Executive Council for the establishment of waste – to – wealth facilities within the five divisions of the State.

Dr. Banire added that five hectares of land each has been allocated to 12 proponents for various waste – to – wealth initiatives with appropriate survey plan. According to him under Green (renewable) energy, the Ministry in collaboration with private sector has initiated the Lagos State Energy Efficiency Programme (retrofitting programme) which will culminate in the reduction of the energy consumption in Lagos State.

The Commissioner who stated that the project involves the installation of energy efficient lighting systems (energy savings retrofit luminaries and energy savers lamp), pointed out that as a pilot scheme, the State Government intends using energy efficiency lightings for the new and old Secretariat Complexes and Lagos State House, explaining that the idea is to start with government, aggregate the cost saved and use same and other benefits as selling point towards getting the public to buy into the programme.

“It is interesting to note that the present lighting systems installed in these buildings are of class E and F types which are not only environmentally unfriendly but also consume higher amount of energy as compared to class A lightings (Efficient Compact Fluorescent Lighting {ECFL). In the same vein, the Ministry in conjunction with a private sector organization has been able to convert human waste (excreta) into biogas using the Alausa Sewage Plant as a pilot test. With the success of the pilot project, plans are in top gear to replicate it at the Lagos State Abattoir, Agege for the management of animal waste and Lagos State piggery farm settlement, Oke Aro”, he said.

The Commissioner further noted that the Ministry has initiated a research study on waste characterization for the State with a view to determining the constituents of the waste stream generated in the State which will eventually assist in long term planning and budgeting for the state waste management programme.

He stated that the Ministry has equally begun the process of the development of sanitary landfill in the State to be implemented by LAWMA while the commencement of the Lagos State Public Schools Waste Management Programme since 2008 has brought about a new horizon in the management of the school environment for cleaner and healthier learning environment.

“It is remarkable to note that before the commencement of the programme which started with distribution of 1,100 litters galvanized steel bins to all the Public Schools in Lagos State, burning of refuse and other environmental malpractices were the order of the day. These have been stamped out and the bins are regularly evacuated by dedicated PSP refuse collectors.

Also, in order to ingrain a sustainable waste management culture in the school children and further use them as a vehicle of change for the larger society on a sustainable waste management strategy, the Ministry equipped some schools with a total number of 500 waste recycling bags to encourage waste sorting from sources of generation”, the Commissioner said.