RAN Advocate Sustainable Recycling Ecosystem in Nigeria

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The Recyclers Association of Nigeria (RAN) has advocated sustainable recycling ecosystem that will impact on the environment and boost the economy of the nation.

This is as the association inaugurated a new executive committee to manage its affairs for the next two years.

The newly inaugurated executive council of RAN for 2025–2027 are: Harold Okonoboh (President), Victor Okunola (Vice President), Cajetan Okeke (General Secretary), Oluwaseyi Olatunbosun (Treasurer), and Taofeek Lateef (Provost).

Others are regional coordinators, which include Ali Yakasai (North West), Hapsat Sali (North East), Femi Owoeye (North Central), Daniel Ntia (South South), and Obinna Amunnadi (South East).

Speaking at the association’s 2nd annual conference and exhibition of recyclers, ahead of the inauguration of the new excos held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, the outgone President, Rita Idehai, said their activities have positively influenced a cleaner and safe environment across the country.

Idehai, who noted that recycling economy is an emerging industry in Nigeria, said is a growing opportunity in Nigeria which has created jobs opportunities for both the youths and women in the society.

She explained that: “Our work as recyclers in Nigeria is very essential in ensuring that waste is properly managed. When waste is properly managed, it means that they are not burnt and Green House Gases that would ordinarily go into the atmosphere from burning waste is reduced.

“It also means that when increased rainfall happens because of climate change, our drainages are clear enough to handle that water and it reduces the cases of flood incidents in our communities, especially in the urban areas,” he stated.

Idehai told journalists that “RAN has been in existence for seven years, since 2018 and we have over 200 members across Nigeria; in Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, etc, in all of these states we only look at the solution around recycling and waste management.”

She continued that RAN hosts the programme yearly to bring together the different stakeholders to share experiences, best practices, and also innovate, discuss solutions to the challenges that they face in the industry.

Noting the need for more sensitisation on the innovation, the former RAN president said the conference tagged: ‘Recycling for Prosperity, Creating Jobs, Growing Economies’, is an important part of circular and growth economy in the country.

She added that: “When you recycle you create more jobs opportunities for the people. There is a huge opportunity in recycling for prosperity and that is what we want to create system to make sure that everybody understands.”

Speaking with THISDAY at the event, the Deputy Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Environment, Hon. Tesser Ugbor, noted that over the years there has been a lot of awareness’ on important of environmental sustainability in Nigeria because of the impact it has on the security, and the people survival.

The federal lawmaker, who commended the group for their continuous efforts in ensuring a clean and sustained environment, said: “From what we are seeing here today, this event has brought together a lot of entrepreneurs in the recycling sector, a lot of people who are passionately involved in recycling of different waste stream in the country.”

He said: “We are a fast-growing recycling economy in the country and I am sure as time goes on, we will be able to get more Nigerians involve in the recycling sector and we are also hoping that we can get recycling to become a course taught in our schools, so that people get more aware of environmental management and recycling and they can graduate into that consciousness about the important of recycling and take it as a business.”

The Public Affairs Communication and Sustainability Director for Coca-Cola Nigeria, Amaka Onyemelukwe, on her part, expressed the belief that the recycling economy in Nigeria alone is over $8billion business they have not been harnessed.

She said: “As a leading producer of goods, we are leading the charge to encourage everyone within the recycling value chain to be able to take action so we will not have our plastics in the drains or waterways.

“In today’s recyclers association where collectors, aggregators and recyclers come together to discuss how the recycling or circularity value chain in Nigeria can be closed. For us as a company, we are supporting this ecosystem from setting up collection centres amongst communities.

“We believe that the recycling economy in Nigeria alone is over $8billion business and it has not been harnessed. For us, it is a tool for economic empowerment at the community level and the youth level,” Onyemelukwe added.