Lagos Partners Netherlands on Waste to Wealth Initiative

Segun James

As part of measures to achieve sustainable economic growth, Lagos State government in conjunction with Netherlands and other partners have concluded plans to engage in economic cooperation.

 Disclosing this at the state’s secretariat yesterday, the Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Dr. Mobolaji Gaji, said the programme tagged, Hotspot 2023 (LCEH2023) Circular Economy, was pivotal to accelerate the drive towards a Greater Lagos agenda that would help to open up the state to genuine opportunities and addressing environmental challenges.

Gaji said the programme with the theme, ‘Towards a Circular and Resourceful Economy: The Future Lagos.’ is slated for July 26th-27th and will have 400 participants while over 1,000 will join virtually.

Present at the conference were, Chapter Lead, Africa Circular Economy Network Nigeria, Mrs. Kemi Ajakaiye, Country Representative, Africa Economy Network, ALEN, Abayomi Magbagbeola and Member of the African Economy Network, Gboyega Olorunfemi.

According to him, the Circular Economy Hotspot which had previously been hosted in Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Catalonia Spain, and Dublin, Ireland, was coming to Africa for the first time and Lagos would be there.
Gaji said, “The Circular Economy Hotspot is an initiative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands which is to serve as a platform to foster co-creation and highlight cities and societies transition towards circular economy.

“To demonstrate the government’s commitment, a Technical Working Group on Circular Lagos was constituted with the objective of driving the framework and a roadmap for the transition.

 “With all these activities and interactions, the Lagos Circular Economy Hotspot provides us the opportunity to highlight how Lagos State is transitioning towards the circular economy and how our businesses and citizens are co-creating innovation.
“This initiative will also allow us to deepen the conversation as we build on our climate adaptation policy, our 30-year Lagos Development Plan, and the role of each and every stakeholder in building a sustainable city.

“Lagos, as a sub-national in the forefront of creating models for development which other States and cities in Africa emulate, is at it again.”
The Permanent Secretary recalled that the state Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, had on 2nd December, 2020, organised a Roundtable on Circular Economy, bringing together all stakeholders, businesses, and citizens on this journey towards a resourceful and waste free economy.

He noted that since the roundtable, citizens and businesses had continued the conversation on how to utilise the waste and resources in Lagos with Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) at the heart of the discussion as well as the industry.

One of the participants in SMEs at the conference, Adejoke Lasisi, who deals in conversion of pure water sachets and other plastic waste to bags, expressed satisfaction with the support from the federal government over the initiative.