Building Sustainable, Inclusive Economy: Nestlé Nigeria Trains 100 Waste Works in Lagos, Abuja

Championing environmental sustainability and social inclusion stands at the core of Nestlé Nigeria’s mission. Every year, the company launches innovative programmes that drive plastic waste management, water conservation, climate action, and active community engagement for a cleaner, waste-free future. This year, Nestlé Nigeria launched its Safety, Health, and Environment (SHE) training programme that empowered 100 plastic waste workers across Lagos State and Abuja. This initiative is designed to advance sustainability, focusing on improving the safety, wellbeing, and dignity of frontline waste workers, and equipping them with essential skills, knowledge, and personal protective equipment to thrive within the plastic recycling sector. This is part of Nestle Nigeria’s commitment to build a more sustainable, inclusive economy for all. REBECCA EJIFOMA writes

Every morning in Lagos, the streets come alive with a whirlwind of plastic bags—black, transparent white, and every shade in between—among other waste dancing and tumbling on their tails like a cyclone wind. From the smallest local markets to the quiet corners on the streets, these used plastic bags invade the city. Sellers and buyers alike carry it—from a simple snack to green vegetables among others, plastic bags are everywhere you go.

Sadly, it is no longer just about the plastic bags. Pedestrians, hawkers, car users, and passengers all contribute. They toss plastic bottles, paper waste and every debris through bus windows or across roads indiscriminately. These items consequently are migrating from green economy to blue economy. It is clogging the drainage systems, canals and waterways, polluting aquatic habitats where fish consume plastics for food, and turning Lagos’ rainy seasons into floods that keep emergency agencies on their toes. Even birds navigating the streets in search of daily bread have become victims of swollen feet and sometimes hopping and leaping with plastic and debris binding their feet.

Now, Lagos, home to over 20 million residents, Nigeria and the world face a significant challenge as plastic pollution suffocates the environment. Despite efforts by skilled personnel and government agencies, the problem lingers and even grows in Lagos.

A 2025 report by the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and Nigerian environmental advocacy groups and research bodies like CAPPAfrica, shows that Lagos generates about 13,000 metric tons of solid waste daily, with plastics making up nearly 17 to 20 per cent of this figure. This means that Lagos produces approximately 2,200 to 2,600 metric tons of plastic waste daily and 870,000 metric tons of waste annually.

With Lagos labelled the highest plastic waste producer, the highest in volume and intensity and high consumption of single-use plastics, Nestle Nigeria saw the need to join the fight. It is going beyond cleanup to empower change. It has trained 100 waste workers—50 in Lagos and 50 Abuja—to enhance their safety, dignity, and capacity within the plastic recycling sector. This strategic move supports those on the frontlines of waste management and reinforces a deeper commitment to nurture a sustainable, waste-free Nigeria. “We are committed to building a waste-free future and supporting essential workers in Nigeria’s circular economy,” says Victoria Uwadoka, Nestlé Nigeria’s Corporate Communications and Sustainability Lead.

The 100 participants were not only trained in occupational health and safety, proper handling of recyclables, fire prevention, and the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) but were also provided with PPE kits to enhance safety during operations.

For a lasting result, Nestle Nigeria brought the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), the Recyclers Association of Nigeria (RAN), and the Food Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA) on board.

During the opening in Lagos, the Managing Director of Maladase Ecopreneur, Mayowa Elefin (Engr.) acknowledged the impact of the training on safety, productivity, and sustainable work environments while the NESREA Director General, Prof. Innocent Barikor, during the opening ceremony in Abuja, commended Nestlé for prioritising the welfare of frontline waste workers and contributing to the fight against plastic pollution.

Even the Head, Waste Management Research & Policy, LAWMA, Dr. Essien Nsuabia, echoes the sentiments of Nestle Nigeria when he called for proper waste awareness. “There is a need to create public awareness and solutions about plastic waste and how to use plastic,” he said during a session in Lagos, “It takes 500 to 1000 years for plastic waste to decompose. It becomes an environmental hazard.”

He, therefore, encouraged Lagosians to “Waste it correctly and not litter it on the streets. Plastic waste is a problem, not only in Lagos but across cities in the world,” his words aligning with the collective efforts of Nestlé and its partners to drive positive environmental and social change and build a more sustainable circular economy in Nigeria.