The Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria has commended President Bola Tinubu for initiatives aimed at promoting environmental sustainability, waste management and the circular economy over the past three years.

The national president of AWAMN, Olugbenga Adebola, made the commendation in an interview on Friday in Lagos.

Mr Adebola said the administration had demonstrated commitment to environmental protection through policies and programmes designed to create jobs, enhance climate resilience and support sustainable development.

He noted that Mr Tinubu’s environmental reforms dated back to his tenure as governor of Lagos State, when he introduced the Private Sector Participation model for waste collection.

According to him, the model transformed waste management in Lagos and has since served as a reference point for other states and some African countries.

Mr Adebola recalled that AWAMN had previously honoured Mr Tinubu for his contributions to environmental management and job creation. He identified the development and validation of Nigeria’s first Cleantech Innovation Policy as one of the administration’s major achievements.

According to him, the policy is expected to accelerate green industrialisation and create more than 500,000 jobs across key sectors.

Mr Adebola also highlighted the Sustainable Energy Access Project, which targets all 774 local government areas and is projected to generate nearly one million jobs.

He said the administration had promoted circular economy principles through agro-waste conversion projects, cassava value chain development, and the commercialisation of research outputs.

The AWAMN president added that plans for a Green and Blue Methanol Industrial Complex would strengthen Nigeria’s role in Africa’s clean energy transition.

He also commended the Federal Ministry of Environment for advancing national waste management and plastic waste policies. According to him, full implementation of the policies could create more than five million direct and indirect jobs.

Mr Adebola further cited the implementation of the Climate Change Act, efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and programmes promoting cleaner cooking energy through expanded access to liquefied petroleum gas.

He said initiatives encouraging cleaner household energy use would improve environmental and public health outcomes.

He also praised the Greening the Sahel Initiative, which aims to combat desertification through large-scale tree planting in northern Nigeria.

According to him, reforms in the oil and gas sector have helped reduce gas flaring and encourage cleaner production practices.

Mr Adebola said Nigeria’s adoption of sustainability reporting standards and increased participation in international climate engagements reflected the administration’s commitment to environmental sustainability. He also referenced sanitation programmes aimed at ending open defecation by 2030, the Energy Transition Plan, carbon market reforms and efforts to establish a climate investment fund.

According to him, green financing initiatives would provide sustainable funding for environmental and waste management projects.

Mr Adebola described the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas initiative as a major intervention expected to reduce transportation costs and emissions. He said waste collection operators would also benefit from the transition to cleaner fuel alternatives.

The AWAMN president noted that waste management remained a concurrent responsibility under the constitution and urged state governments to domesticate and implement federal environmental policies.

He expressed optimism that ongoing reforms would continue to drive economic growth, create jobs and improve environmental outcomes across the country.

“President Tinubu has shown commitment to environmental sustainability and circular economy development. We believe the remaining years of the administration will further advance Nigeria’s environmental and economic transformation,” he said. 

(NAN)