Nigeria is potentially losing over $100 million annually due to inefficiencies in its waste management system, but experts believe the country could turn this liability into a multibillion-dollar opportunity with the right reforms.
Igwebuike Ijeoma, a global authority on climate change governance, who serves as Nigeria’s Country Representative for the World Council for Renewable Energy (WCRE) and CEO of Schrodinger Greentech, says the problem is not just about waste—it is about governance.
“The challenges in Nigeria’s waste sector are structural,” Ijeoma told BusinessDay. “At the foundation is a governance issue.
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The government is acting both as operator and regulator. This dual role is the same challenge that has long plagued the oil and gas sector.”
Ijeoma draws parallels with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) joint ventures, where the government’s simultaneous role as regulator and operator has hindered enforcement of regulations, such as gas flaring. “It is like asking yourself to flop yourself. Until we separate these roles, progress will be limited,” she explained.
Currently, Nigeria operates its waste sector on a linear economic model, heavily reliant on traditional waste collection and disposal methods. Ijeoma advocates for a shift to a circular resource recovery ecosystem. This approach not only addresses environmental concerns but also creates economic opportunities.
She said her consultancy has developed a framework designed to help state governments transition from the existing inefficient system to one that leverages private-sector expertise and global climate investments, which she says could amount to as much as $1.5 trillion internationally.
“We have no structured, engineered sanitary landfills in Nigeria. Most cities rely on dump sites, some decommissioned for over a decade. In Wales, we tapped methane from a decommissioned dump site to generate 4 megawatts of electricity,” she explained. “This is a model that can be replicated in Nigeria to produce electricity, biogas for clean cooking, and organic fertilizers for climate-smart agriculture.”
According to Ijeoma, Nigeria is losing approximately $1 billion over the past decade in plastic waste alone—roughly $100 million annually. She argues that adopting a new governance and business model could recover these losses and potentially generate a similar amount within the next five years.
“The government will save money by reducing inefficient spending and will earn revenue from an efficient ecosystem. Investors are interested not only in data but in the readiness and legal frameworks of a system. Once these are in place, real data collection will follow naturally,” she said.
The expert emphasized the role of state governments, noting that environmental issues are on the concurrent list of Nigeria’s Constitution. This gives states the power and responsibility to legislate and manage their waste sectors independently. “State governors need to take personal responsibility for transforming the waste management system into an efficient, circular resource recovery ecosystem,” she said.
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She stressed that the benefits extend beyond financial gains: “This transformation will create decent green jobs. Each state could generate at least 5,000 jobs. If we deploy 1,000 people per local government, we are talking about hundreds of thousands of employment opportunities nationwide.”
Ijeoma also challenged the Abuja city authorities to adopt this framework. “It’s not just about paying contractors to evacuate waste. There are no engineered landfills anywhere. Where this waste goes matters—it is a public health risk,” she said.
Highlighting the systemic nature of the problem, she concluded: “This is the taproot issue. Until we address the dual operator-regulator role, every other solution is temporary. It is time for state governments to step up, embrace this model, and unlock both economic and environmental benefits for Nigeria.”
If implemented, Ijeoma believes Nigeria could transform its waste sector into a profitable, sustainable, and globally competitive industry—turning what was once a billion-dollar loss into a multibillion-dollar opportunity.
