The Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) says there is a need to create waste to wealth management in all local government areas in the country.
Mr Adetokunbo Kayode, the President of the chamber, made the call in Abuja on Tuesday, April 2, 2019 during a Waste to Wealth Roundtable and Exhibition, organised by the chamber.
He said that the chamber would support any persons or group interested in waste to wealth management.
“The country needs a systematic technology driven and sustainable approach for waste management to create employment and improve the livelihoods of citizens.
“The chamber will assist people who can identify used products and convert them into wealth,’’ Kayode said.
According to him, Nigeria has up to 2.5 million used tyres that can be converted to wealth.
Mrs Kitan Oluwagbuyi, Chair, Waste Management Society of Nigeria, Federal Capital Territory Council, said the country needed to create different ways of collecting of waste products.
Oluwagbuyi said it is very important for the country to build infrastructure that would support recycling of waste to wealth.
“We need to deregulate waste to generate wealth and create jobs for Nigerians to have a better life,’’ she said.
Oluwagbuyi said that few smart countries were already building wealth from waste and creating jobs.
Also, Mr Dele Oye, National Vice-President, Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), said the country generated nearly 70 million tonnes of waste every year.
Oye, who represented the National President of NACCIMA,  Mrs Iyalode Lawson, said  that the volume of waste generated was expected to double in the coming years and that the roundtable was aimed at finding a solution to waste products.
He said that recycling might be Nigeria’s best bet to turn its waste to wealth, saying that waste recycling made environment clean and beautiful.
By Franca Ofili
