By Bunmi Yekini
Environmental advocacy group Pan African Vision for the Environment (PAVE) on Thursday hosted a workshop in Lagos aimed at building the capacity of waste management stakeholders and promoting a zero-waste culture to help reduce methane emissions from organic waste.
The training, held at the Ikorodu North Local Council Development Area in Lagos State, is part of the Multi-Solving Action to Methane Reduction in Nigeria (MAMRN) project, an initiative designed to encourage community-driven solutions to organic waste management and climate mitigation.
Speaking at the event on behalf of PAVE President Anthony Akpan, the organisation’s Senior Programmes Manager and project officer, Victoria Aghaji, said the programme aims to encourage households and waste sector actors to adopt systematic waste reduction practices beginning at the source.
The workshop, titled “A One Day Awareness and Capacity Building Workshop for Households in Ikorodu North LCDA on Organic Waste Management to Reduce Methane Emission,” brought together community leaders, environmental officials and residents to discuss the importance of waste segregation and sustainable disposal practices.
Aghaji said the initiative promotes the concept of “zero waste,” where materials are separated, reused or recycled so that little or nothing ends up in landfills.
“MAMRN seeks to address methane emissions from organic waste by implementing community-driven, data-informed zero-waste strategies,” she said. “Methane is a short-lived climate pollutant, and reducing emissions requires practical, inclusive and scalable waste management solutions.”
Methane is widely recognised by climate experts as a potent greenhouse gas, particularly when released from decomposing organic waste in landfills and dumpsites.
The MAMRN project is funded by the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) and the Green Knowledge Foundation (GKF), and is being implemented by a consortium of Nigerian civil society organisations working on climate and environmental sustainability.
Officials from environmental agencies also delivered goodwill messages at the workshop.
A representative of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Ogundero Adeola Christiana of the agency’s Ikorodu I and II zonal office, said regulatory enforcement remains key to protecting the environment and ensuring proper waste disposal practices.
“We have the responsibility to enforce environmental regulations and ensure communities adhere to standards that protect public health and the environment,” she said.
Similarly, Ismail Mutiu, assistant director in the waste-to-energy unit of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), said strengthening the waste management value chain could contribute to economic development while addressing climate challenges.
Mutiu said building capacity among community members and waste handlers would help establish a stronger system for recycling, composting and converting waste into energy resources.
“This training will help participants understand the economic and environmental opportunities within the waste management sector,” he said, adding that better management of organic waste could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Community representatives also welcomed the initiative.
Adeniran Ogunbanwo, chairman of the Community Development Committee (CDC) in Ikorodu North LCDA, said the workshop would empower residents with practical knowledge on sustainable waste handling.
Participants at the event expressed appreciation to PAVE for bringing environmental awareness to the community and pledged to apply the knowledge gained during the training in their households and neighbourhoods.
The session was facilitated by Philip Jakpor, executive director of the Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI), who led discussions on strategies for organic waste separation and methane reduction.
Organisers said the event also marked the launch of the second phase of the MAMRN project, with participants joining both in person and remotely.
PAVE said the initiative represents a significant step toward strengthening community participation in Nigeria’s environmental protection efforts and addressing climate challenges linked to waste management.