In an effort to solve the major obstacles waste pickers face, the Federal Government of Nigeria promised to create a National Digital Repository for them on August 20, 2024, in Abuja. During a workshop on the development of the repository, Malam Balarabe Lawal, the Minister of Environment, made this announcement. Waste pickers, sometimes known as “Baban Bolla,” are essential to Recycling and the circular Economy as they work their way up the Waste Management value chain. Notwithstanding their significance, they deal with unfavourable labour circumstances, unfavourable public perceptions, and little government assistance.
An alliance of Tearfund Nigeria, the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the Federal Ministry of Environment is behind the project. For waste pickers to realize their full economic potential and to enhance Environmental Sustainability and public health, it is imperative that they be integrated into the formal waste management system. Efforts are underway to involve them in the creation of policies, as their role in controlling Plastic Waste is becoming recognized on a global scale. Effective waste management has the potential to create jobs and boost economic resilience, as noted by Vanessa Phala-Moyo, Country Director of ILO for Nigeria.
They will be more productive and efficient in the value chain.
Combating waste picking crime is another commitment made by the Nigerian Police, under the leadership of CSP Austine Aniah. The representative of the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Chiranjibi Tiwari, emphasized the need of waste pickers in reducing the health risks linked to inappropriate waste management. To register, monitor, and oversee the operations of waste pickers throughout Nigeria, the National Digital Repository for Waste Pickers would act as a single, unified platform. Providing them with access to necessary services and legal recognition, the repository seeks to legalize their involvement in the waste management industry.
Waste pickers will be provided with identification cards via this network, which will make their operations safer and lower their chances of harassment or exploitation. The waste pickers in the value chain will be more productive and efficient overall because to the repository’s training modules on environmental sustainability, safety procedures, and best practices for waste management. Eliminating intermediaries who frequently take advantage of them and assuring fairer prices are two major benefits of the repository: it may directly connect them with buyers of recyclable goods. The repository will enable them to receive healthcare, social Security benefits, and microloans to fuel their companies by bringing them into the formal economy.
The first phase would involve registering them in major cities.
Reduction of garbage in landfills due to higher recycling rates and a 20–30% increase in waste pickers’ income are anticipated outcomes of the repository. Over the course of the following two years, the repository’s development will be launched in stages. Beginning in the first quarter of 2025, the first phase would involve registering them in major cities such as Lagos, Abuja, and Kano. With frequent upgrades and extensions to cover new features and regions, the government hopes to have the repository completely operating across the country by mid-2026.
Similar programs have been put in place in nations like Brazil and India, where they are officially recognized and included in the waste management framework. Waste pickers in Brazil now enjoy far better living conditions thanks to the government-backed “Catadores” program, which gives them access to recycling cooperatives, health insurance, and education. An important part of the Finance and technical support for the Construction of the repository is being provided by the International Labour Organization (ILO).
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Additionally, the labour and Social Protection expertise of the ILO will guarantee the equitable treatment and protection of waste pickers’ rights. Leading the community participation and advocacy initiatives is Tearfund Nigeria, a development organization dedicated to environmental Sustainability and Poverty alleviation. By participating, Tearfund makes sure that their opinions are acknowledged and that the repository is customized to their unique requirements. Alignment with national waste management policies and goals is ensured by the project’s oversight by the Federal Ministry of Environment.