The Federal Executive Council (FEC) Wednesday approved a Solid Waste Management Policy for Nigeria.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Environment, Mr Muhammad Mahmood at the end of the weekly FEC meeting in Abuja.
He said the policy would help improve cleanliness across the country and give room for the conversion of waste to wealth.
“The council approved Solid Waste Management Policy for Nigeria. It is to provide a framework for a comprehensive integrated solid waste management in which the federal, state and local governments, MDAs, institutions, NGOs will all be part of it,” he said.
The minister said the move would be well coordinated to enhance job creation for the unemployed.
“Waste is no longer wastes but resources. We consider it a resource you can recycle, ultimately the garbage can be turned to other things, we have a recycling plant in Karu and the pallets produced there can be used to make interlocks and so many other things.
“That is why we need this comprehensive waste management plan which has been graciously approved. The next thing is the implementation. The implementation will require the impute if everybody.
“Waste Management as we all know is on concurrent list, meaning the federal, states can make laws and local governments can make by-laws. The federal government will provide all the framework necessary to undertake all these management.
“With this a lot of jobs will be created from the recycling plant, we will also be inviting the private sector to come and invest,” he said.
He said the document was put together by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Federal Ministry of Environment and other stakeholders.
