The Jospong Group of Companies (JCG) has entered into agreement with the Lagos State Government through the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources to build waste treatment plants in Lagos.
The integrated waste treatment facility will help to transform the environmental situation of Africa’s most populous city.
The landmark agreement was formalised with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Jospong Group of Companies, led by its Executive Chairman Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, and the Commissioner of the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, in Lagos on Monday, February 26, 2024.
The Executive Chairman of Jospong Group, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, in his remarks, assured that JCG is in Nigeria to help the state and also share knowledge and expertise in waste management and treatment.
“We have learnt a lot of lessons from Ghana and we are here to share our technical and operational expertise to help improve the sanitation landscape of Lagos State,” he emphasised.
The Executive Chairman also assured the upstream operators (collectors) of Lagos that his company will partner and collaborate with them as well as support them with equipment to make their work much more effective and efficient.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, noted that by the agreement, Lagos State is showcasing its commitment to a crucial aspect of environmental services through a Public Private Partnership arrangement.
“We are utilising a PPP arrangement to address our waste management challenges effectively,” he stated.
He noted that the arrangement also includes exploring ways to convert its waste into valuable resources.
“Our goal is a cleaner, greener and prosperous Lagos. And we are fostering a conducive environment for the private sector to strive,” he stated.
He was of the view that Lagos State must find value in its waste instead of wasting it.
The Consul General of the Ghana Consulate in Lagos, Hajia Samata Gifty Bukari, asured the partners – Jospong Group and the Lagos State Environment and Water Resources – of her support to ensure the success of the partnership.
Per the MoU, Jospong Group will establish a material recovery facility; mobile transfer loading stations; repurposing of current Olusosun landfill; supply of self-tipping tricycles; and bin manufacturing and plastic recycling plant to streamline recyclable activities.
Additionally, this proposed well-proven sustainable solution to environmental sanitation will go a long way to boost Nigeria’s carbon ratings to enable it raise needed funds to build more sustainable infrastructure.
According to a report by the Lagos State Waste Management Agency, Lagos State produces approximately 13,000 tonnes of waste per day.
The consequences of poor sanitation are dire, ranging from the spread of water-borne diseases to environmental degradation, and disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable segments of our society, including women, children and the elderly.
In Ghana, JCG has established 58 sustainable sanitation infrastructures for liquid, medical, plastics and municipal solid waste, including 16 integrated recycling and compost plants. These plants produce compost, which is also helping to boost the agricultural sector of the economy.
