Ghana News
Ghana’s Jospong Group Partners with Nigeria’s Lagos State Government
The Lagos State Government recently formed a strategic alliance with the Jospong Group of Companies, Ghana’s leading waste management company, as a significant step toward modernizing waste management practices. The goal of this partnership, which was formalized in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), is to significantly improve the state’s handling of both liquid and solid waste.
At the center of this collaboration is the creation of a Material Recovery Facility—a critical piece of infrastructure that will be instrumental in easing the burden on landfills by cutting down on the amount of waste that ends up there. In a symbolic demonstration of their dedication to environmentally friendly waste management techniques, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s commissioner for the environment and water resources, Tokunbo Wahab, and Jospong Group executive chairman, Dr. Joseph Agyepong, signed the Memorandum of Understanding.
The announcement of this partnership was met with enthusiasm and optimism, as underscored by Wahab’s official statement on the X account, where he underscored the transformative potential of this collaboration in reshaping the waste management landscape in Lagos. The introduction of a material recovery facility and the deployment of mobile transfer loading stations to replace fixed ones are poised to address critical waste congestion issues in key areas such as markets, reflecting a proactive approach to tackling the solid and liquid waste management challenges exacerbated by Lagos’s bustling population and vibrant economic activities.
Central to the ethos of this partnership is the shared vision of enhancing the livability of Lagos by developing robust waste management facilities that are equipped to cater to both present needs and future demands. Embracing a holistic approach, the focus will be on leveraging technology, fostering advocacy, ensuring stringent enforcement measures, and championing the principles of a circular economy through initiatives like recycling, composting, reuse, and waste-to-energy projects.
During the official announcement, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, the Executive Chairman of Jospong Group, underscored the intrinsic link between environmental sanitation and public health, emphasizing the critical importance of clean water and sanitation as enshrined in Sustainable Development Goal No. 6. Drawing attention to a report by the Lagos State Waste Management Agency (LAWMA) that highlights the staggering daily waste generation of approximately 13,000 tons in Lagos, Dr. Agyepong elucidated that Jospong’s role in this partnership will predominantly focus on downstream waste management rather than mere collection.
In a proactive gesture to bolster the efficiency of waste collectors, Dr. Agyepong pledged support by providing essential equipment and announced the provision of 2,000 tricycles to aid the Association of Waste Managers in Lagos in their waste collection endeavors. This commitment underscores Jospong Group’s dedication to complementing the efforts of the Lagos State Government and its agencies, including LAWMA and the Lagos State Wastewater Management Office (LSWMO), in significantly enhancing waste management practices within the state.
In conclusion, the collaboration between the Lagos State Government of Nigeria and the Jospong Group of Ghana signals the beginning of a new era in waste management, one that is characterized by a shared dedication to public health, environmental stewardship, and sustainable practices. As this partnership develops, it has the potential to not only change the dynamics of waste management in Lagos but also to establish a standard for creative thinking and cross-border collaboration when tackling the urgent problems associated with waste management globally.
