By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Sahara Foundation has taken a significant step to promote environmental sustainability and encourage the adoption of recycling as a socio-cultural practice to drive desired behavioural change in waste management in Lagos State.
The organisation made this move in partnership with the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) and Wecyclers, a social enterprise with expertise in recycling.
The idea is to experiment with this project, a series of recycling exchange hubs, in 12 of the 20 local government areas of the state.
In line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 11 and 17, which speak to Sustainable Cities and Communities, and Partnerships for the Goals, this tripartite partnership will help promote a sustainable Lagos, create job opportunities, empower host communities, strengthen the economy, increase access to healthcare and improve lives and livelihoods across the state.
Speaking on the partnership, the Director of Sustainability and Governance at Sahara Group, Ms Ejiro Gray, said, “At Sahara foundation, one of our key pillars is supporting and promoting sustainable societies.
“With this partnership, we are helping to create viable communities across the state by fostering a sustainable and circular economy through recycling.”
Ms Gray further stated that the rollout of these recycling exchange hubs would help educate people about the benefits of recycling, significantly impact lives and livelihoods in the host communities, and provide members of the communities with the opportunity to capture value from their waste through incentive-based recycling, commending the partners for their commitment to promoting sustainability and supporting a green Lagos.
Also speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary of LSETF, Ms Teju Abisoye, said, “The partnership is strategic to scale waste to wealth creation in Lagos State.”
She added that the project is dear to LSETF as it is the first primary project of the Fund in the green energy space and a start to creating a million jobs that are guaranteed to promote a sustainable Lagos for many.
Ms Abisoye stated that LSETF is fully committed to empowering Lagos residents, and establishing these recycling exchange hubs will help provide economic opportunities for the host communities.
Also addressing guests at the event, the Chief Operating Officer of Wecyclers, Ms Oluwayemisi Lawal, said, “This partnership with Sahara Foundation and LSETF is a big leap in our effort to promote sustainable environments in Nigeria.”
Ms Lawal added that she is very positive about the impact this would have in the state and thanked both Sahara Foundation and LSETF for trusting Wecyclers to implement the project.
Sahara Foundation, the corporate social responsibility vehicle for leading energy and infrastructure conglomerate, Sahara Group, is committed to improving lives and livelihoods across Africa.
The organisation continues to support projects and invest in partnerships that will help build sustainable societies and promote widespread development across Sahara Group’s host communities.
Adedapo Adesanya