A coalition of civil society organizations (CSOs) under the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA Nigeria) has issued a strong call to the Lagos State Government, urging them to halt plans for constructing a waste-to-energy incinerator plant. Instead, they advocate for adopting sustainable waste management practices. This appeal was made during a press conference held in Lagos on Tuesday, July 23, 2024.
The group’s concerns stem from the government’s announcement on May 28, 2024, regarding a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a Dutch company to build a waste-to-energy incinerator in the Epe area of Lagos State. Weyinmi Okotie, Key Managing Convener at GAIA, highlighted the issues associated with incinerators, describing them as facilities that burn waste, resulting in toxic ash and pollutants that pose significant environmental and health risks.
He emphasized GAIA’s global network of over 1,000 organizations advocating for a shift towards a ‘zero waste’ approach, focusing on waste reduction, composting, and maximizing recycling.
In addition to GAIA, the coalition includes 11 Nigerian NGOs and civil societies, such as Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADev Nigeria), Pan African Vision for the Environment (PAVE), and others, collectively expressing their opposition to the waste-to-energy incinerator project.
Dr. Leslie Adogame, Executive Director of SRADev, criticized the government’s lack of consultation, noting that they submitted a petition signed by numerous organizations and individuals opposing the project.
Mr Benson Dotun Fasanya from the Centre for Earth Works (CfEW) outlined reasons why waste-to-energy incineration is deemed detrimental to sustainable development, citing its costliness, inefficiency, emissions of toxic pollutants, and negative impact on job creation and environmental justice.
Representing PAVE, Mr Akpan Anthony read out the coalition’s demands, urging the Lagos State Government to impose a moratorium on incinerator construction and instead adopt zero-waste strategies. These strategies, they argued, prioritize waste reduction, segregation, recycling, composting, and reuse programs, which they believe are more environmentally friendly and economically efficient.
The CSOs stressed the importance of investing in research and development for sustainable waste management technologies and promoting environmental protection, public health, and social equity. They proposed phasing out products and materials that are difficult to recycle and replacing them with more sustainable alternatives.
The coalition cautioned that implementing waste-to-energy incineration in Lagos would contradict the city’s sustainability goals and could set a troubling precedent for Nigeria and Africa. They urged the Lagos State Government to align with global climate solutions and refrain from technologies that pose environmental and public health risks. The group urged the government to carry out broader consultation with the public and environmental CSOs.