THE Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation has reaffirmed its commitment to poverty alleviation by using waste recycling processes to create jobs for women-focused Non-Governmental Organisations across Lagos on Wednesday, January 19th, 2022.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), Mrs. Cecilia Bolaji Dada, was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs. Oluyemi Kalesanwo, at the Women Development Centre in Agege for a workshop titled "Waste-to-Wealth: A Tool to Eradicate Poverty". The commissioner emphasised the importance of recycling for global entrepreneurial development amongst women.
“Lagos State, with a high population, generates 13,000 metric tonnes of municipal wastes daily, thereby making the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), to dispose of about 7,000 tonnes of solid waste a day, across four landfill sites in the State. The call for action is necessary to groom a generation that is equipped with the tasks to imbibe positive changes for generating less waste by creating reusable consumables, recycling of waste as well as processing valuable resources derived from waste products”, Mrs. Dada's statement read.
Mrs. Jirinsola Ladipo-Okunbanjo, a representative of LAWMA, urged the women in attendance to operate the “PAKAM” application to bridge the gap between recyclers and customers. The application is available on all mobile app stores.
“Once you register, a wallet is opened, after which you can request a truck and a recycler close by, which will attend to you by weighing the waste and calculating the incentives”, Mrs. Ladipo-Okunbanjo said.
Lagos State Government continues to view recycling as an important part of its economic development plans. The state government is looking to create a partnership with privately-owned recycling companies to alleviate poverty and provide employment opportunities for its residents.
