The African Cities Research Consortium (ACRC) and the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) are considering a partnership to expand a community-led waste management model aimed at reducing waste generation, increasing recycling and creating economic opportunities for residents.

The initiative, currently being piloted in Ajegunle-Ikorodu, Kosofe Local Government Area, seeks to give community members a stronger role in sorting, recovering and deriving value from waste. It also promotes greater participation by informal waste workers, women and young people in the circular economy.

The proposed partnership was discussed during a meeting involving the ACRC team, led by its Lagos City Manager, Dr Temilade Sesan, and LASEPA General Manager, Dr Babatunde Ajayi, alongside senior officials of the agency.

ACRC, which is domiciled at the Centre for Housing and Sustainable Development (CHSD), University of Lagos, used the meeting to present its research and community interventions across Lagos. Its work covers housing, waste management, climate change, and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).

During the engagement, Mr Deji Akinpelu of Rethinking Cities presented the Ajegunle-Ikorodu Community-Led Sustainable Waste Management Model.

He explained that the project seeks to move communities beyond conventional waste evacuation by placing greater emphasis on reducing waste, recovering materials and turning waste into useful resources at the community level.

According to Akinpelu, the project has established community collection points, introduced recycling education programmes and begun piloting waste enterprises led by women and young people.

The model also supports informal waste workers, encourages sorting at the point where waste is generated, converts organic waste into useful products and reduces the volume of waste eventually taken to dumpsites.

Akinpelu called on LASEPA to visit the Ajegunle-Ikorodu hub and take part in reviewing the initiative. He also proposed that the agency develop simple composting standards for local councils and designate a food-waste focal officer.

The meeting enabled ACRC to outline the intervention’s methodology, achievements and prospects while examining how the model could complement LASEPA’s environmental responsibilities and Lagos State’s efforts to advance sustainable waste management.

In his response, Ajayi described the initiative as a “step in the right direction” and a proof of concept. He stressed that sustainable environmental change could not be achieved through government directives alone.

According to him, communities need the capacity, ownership and incentives to participate actively in developing environmental solutions.

Ajayi noted that Lagos had continued advocacy and enforcement efforts around waste separation, but said approaches connecting environmental responsibility with tangible social and economic benefits could help reinforce behavioural change.

He said expanding the model would require coordinated participation from stakeholders across the environmental sector, including the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), relevant ministries, local governments, Community Development Associations (CDAs), recyclers and informal waste workers.

He added that such cooperation would be especially important in communities where conventional waste collection systems encounter operational difficulties.

The LASEPA General Manager also assured the ACRC team that the agency would provide technical support to ensure waste recovery, recycling and composting activities are carried out safely and in line with environmental standards.

Ajayi further pledged to assign an officer to coordinate follow-up activities and requested an itemised list of proposed collaboration areas, together with timelines.

Members of the ACRC delegation included community leaders from Ajegunle-Ikorodu and the Lagos Uptake Lead, Mr Mojeed Alabi.

Source: The Guardian