By Yahaya Umar
National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency ,NESREA, has concluded plans to launch a digital marketplace for waste transactions.
According to a statement released by NESREA’s Assistant Director ,Press, the digital market is keeping with the implementation of the Circular Economy in Nigeria.
The platform, Waste Marketplace Nigeria, the statement said is a collaboration between NESREA and Recyclestack for the digitisation of the country’s circular economy.
“Circular Economy is operationalized in Nigeria under the Extended Producer Responsibility ,EPR, Programme, which extends the responsibility of a producer throughout the lifecycle of the product.
“EPR is operational in sectors such as food and beverages, batteries, used tyres, and electrical electronics, with Producer Responsibility Organisations ,PROs, recyclers, and collectors playing key roles along the value chain”, the statement said.
It added that through the Waste Marketplace Nigeria platform, NESREA plans to enhance digital inclusion and job creation for the informal sector, boost material recovery, reduce illegal dumping and increase the rate of recycling.
“The platform targets to onboard at least 10,000 verified users within the first four months, and by serving as a data mining source in the waste management, it will strengthen compliance and enforcement of environmental standards.
“ The project will kick off in Lagos and Abuja, with subsequent roll out in major cities across the country”, the statement said.
Speaking on the project, the Director General of NESREA, Prof. Innocent Barikor said, “Waste Marketplace Nigeria provides a transformative opportunity to digitize Nigeria’s waste economy while enabling regulation, accountability and economic empowerment. It is also consistent with our focus on addressing environmental concerns through innovative solutions and partnerships”.
He added the joint initiative between NESREA and Recyclestack is well-positioned to formalise the sector, create inclusive green jobs, drive investments and ensure environmental compliance.
“It is also in line with National Development Goals and will serve as a model for other African countries”, he said.
