Lagos Launches Biodigester Plant at Ikosi Fruit Market

By Adedapo Adesanya

Lagos State has launched a biodigester plant at the Ikosi Fruit Market to convert organic market waste into energy and fertiliser.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, said via his official X account that the project was delivered through a partnership with C40 Cities and support from UK International Development.

The facility is designed to convert fruit and vegetable waste into biogas for cooking and electricity, and fertiliser for farmers, the state government official noted.

Mr Wahab said the project addresses a long-standing environmental challenge in the Ikosi community, adding that the market generates tons of organic waste daily, including fruit peels, vegetable trimmings, and unsold produce, much of which previously ended up in drains and dumpsites.

“I had the privilege of launching and handing over the Ikosi Fruit Market Biodigester Plant, delivered in partnership with @c40cities and with support from UK International Development under the Climate Action Implementation programme.

“Every day, Ikosi Fruit Market generates tons of organic waste, fruit peels, vegetable trimmings, unsold produce. In the past, much of this ended up in dumpsites and road medians, clogging drains, creating health risks, and releasing methane into the atmosphere.

“Today, that same waste will be fed into an anaerobic digester where it will be converted into biogas for cooking and electricity, as well as nutrient-rich biofertilizer for farmers. This is the circular economy in action,” he said on Monday.

He added that the project aligns with Lagos’ broader goal of building a resilient and resource-efficient city through visible, community-level climate actions.

This is the latest effort in the state’s waste management move. In July 2025, the Lagos State Government announced plans for a $400 million Waste-to-Energy plant in Epe, aimed at tackling waste, supplying electricity to two million residents, and reducing flooding.

Before that, in October 2024, Mr Wahab revealed that Lagos secured a €120 million commitment from the Netherlands to support its ongoing project with Harvest Waste Consortium, which is expected to convert 2,500–3,000 tons of municipal solid waste into electricity daily.