ensuring an effective waste management strategy is not only very important for community development, but is also a vital component of supporting climate action. unfortunately, indiscriminate disposal of wastes is a challenge that exists across different classes and regions of nigeria. 

according to the nigerian federal government’s 2020 nigerian national waste management policy, “nigeria produces a large volume of solid wastes out of which less than 20% is collected through a formal system.”

even in nigerian academic institutions, this issue is prevalent. as a fresh masters student in obafemi awolowo university (oau) in 2015, i realized that despite my school’s green reputation and beautiful exterior, illegal waste disposal was still a problem on campus.  

so in 2016, while serving as the president of my university’s environmental control and management student association (ecomsa), i teamed up with lagos-based african clean up initiative (formerly known as passion house) and sustyvibes to launch the oau campus cleanup. 

with the help of nigeria’s national environmental standard and regulation agency (nesrea) and several other clubs on campus, we collected approximately 100 bags of solid wastes which were channeled into appropriate receptacles. after this event, the participating organizations and individuals started organizing weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly cleanup exercises within the school.

one of the attendees at the oau campus cleanup event was mayokun iyaomolere, who would later go on to form his own organization, the plogging nigeria club. 

plogging is a concept created by erik ahlstrom, an activist from sweden who combined his love for hiking and running, with the practice of picking up litter. iyaomolere’s organization is functional across 18 university campuses in nigeria with 1,600 members who have collectively picked more than 30 tons of waste since the program’s founding in 2018. 

i caught up with iyaomolere to discuss the progress of his club and his experience with sustainable waste management on nigerian school campuses. this conversation appears below, edited for length and clarity.

wa: what does ‘sustainable waste management’ mean to you?

mi: i would describe sustainable waste management as a holistic set of policies, infrastructure and behaviors that contribute to reduced use of items, proper disposal of wastes, finding afterlife for some wastes and carefully ensuring all final wastes do not end up polluting the environment.

wa: did you participate in the oau campus cleanup 2016?

mi: yes, i participated in the cleanup.

it was one of my first major volunteering experiences. i enjoyed the company of colleagues from academia and (others who) i looked up to in the environment industry in nigeria.

wa: what did you gain from the experience? 

mi: i think it was a landmark campus cleanup event that set the pace for hundreds, if not thousands of events that had happened after it.

i met new people and consolidated on existing relationships. something about doing impactful work together makes me connect better with people.

i also participated in publicity for the event… this would become a skill for me as i grew into the environment space in nigeria.

wa: what inspired you to starting plogging nigeria club?

mi: beating plastic pollution with young people. that really was the initial drive as conversations around plastic pollution became more topical.

after we started plogging nigeria on the oau campus in june 2018, we hosted another massive cleanup at the university in august 2018. the network i built and competencies i developed during the 2016 cleanup really came in handy and helped set plogging nigeria on an ascending trajectory.

wa: what other programs or projects does plogging nigeria hold to engage the youth and educate the public on waste management?

mi: today, plogging nigeria continues evolving. we’ve done quite a lot, and will be doing even more. what we started as just jogging and picking up litter has metamorphosed into one of the most consistent and present environmental organizations in nigeria and indeed, africa. 

we have established about 30 subsidiary campus and community clubs since june 2018 when we started in oau. we have over 1,600 volunteers presently. with these clubs, we’ve had over 600 plogging episodes. 

we run an experiential environmental education school called the green switch academy. at the academy, we train people on the basics of environmental sustainability, solid waste management, climate change and the sustainable development goals amongst other things. we have organized 26 cohorts of the academy, with the latest being in february 2024. we have trained exactly 1,659 persons from over 20 countries at the academy.

another major project for us is ploggathon, a fusion of the words, “plogging” and “marathon.” we led more than 200 people to run a 10km distance in the capital city of nigeria, competitively cleaning wastes along the way. 

we also run these virtual end of year campaigns where we try to educate people on living sustainably during the yuletide period. we’ve done that five years in a row now and have partnered with over 80 organizations for this campaign alone. we have reached millions of virtual audiences through it.

these are some of the things we have done and will build on. generally, we try to employ plogging, cleanups, arts, circularity, research, and development as advocacy tools for environmental and climate education.

wa: what’s the future of waste management in nigeria and the role of young people?

mi: the future of waste management in nigeria! there’s still a lot of work to be done really. we need to put in proper policies and infrastructure that will cause and enforce a change in our waste management behavior in nigeria.

at plogging nigeria, we’ve learned from our work that there’s a dire need for policies, backed up with infrastructure, and stringent enforcement systems. advocacy is not enough. when one learns not to throw wastes indiscriminately away, they need to have a bin close by to dump the wastes. 

recycling is gaining ground around the country, but is only one part of it. we need better waste disposal and collection systems, landfill management, and should begin to really explore the potentials of generating energy from wastes. there’s a whole lot really, and there’s a wide open sky of opportunities in the future of waste management in nigeria. young people have started taking leadership of the waste management space in the country and i believe it will continue to remain so as we aim to rid nigeria of every form of dirt.

looking ahead

as the movement toward sustainable waste management continues to grow across nigerian campuses, it is imperative for school management to support environmental clubs situated within their schools and extend collaborations to governmental agencies to further solidify effectiveness in the waste management sector of the communities and of the country at large. 

activists across the campuses are beginning to voluntarily train and educate young people in elementary and secondary schools, this already helps the new generation to be aware of the need for waste management as part of the measures for community development. thus, this movement of young people shall play a huge role toward sustainable management of wastes.

in 2019, i was received at the palace of the mese community monarch in ilaje, ondo state, nigeria. today, that palace has been swept away by the sea. 

Ìlàje is a region in nigeria that is richly blessed as an oil-producing hub. the area also shares borders with nearby big cities including lagos, regarded as the biggest economic center in west africa. 

according to a community monarch in the region, life was once normal and fair, and years passed with residents living peaceful lives. this was until oil exploration came to the scene.

Ìlàje, the only oil producing region in ondo state is one of nigeria’s biggest repository of investments considering the tonnes of crude oil produced daily produced in the region. unfortunately, the eventual outcome of these activities also kills both the green and blue economy. 

scientists and environmentalists in recent years have confirmed that these activities have exacerbated the impacts of climate change on rising sea levels, causing many residents to grow anxious about the safety of their region. local leaders have reported that their physical environments are complete shadows of how they used to be. in many places, the ocean now resides by people’s windows, threatening to take entire homes away. where there were once beaches, now they are replaced by mud. 

it was like a nightmare for the residents of ayetoro, mese, awoye and gbagira, communities of ilaje, around march 2019 when they experienced an unusual sea incursion which came in the middle of the night to displace the dwellers of their abodes. 

to make things worse, despite the oil richness, the renegotiated global memorandum of understanding signed in 2016 by chevron — the oil company most prominent in the area — has not ensured adaptive infrastructural measures for the region.

in 2019 i knew i had to get involved. i launched the #saveilaje campaign in collaboration with the international student environmental coalition and Ìlàje advance forum, a youth led organization in Ìlàje region. the goal was to act on the united nations sustainable development goal #13 and “take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.” 

the campaign involved four major affected communities in ilaje which gave me the opportunity to sail through the coastal region to gather my facts and speak with community members. one thing that stuck out to me, was that Ìlàje communities know that their immediate problem is sea incursion but unfortunately, many adults in the area didn’t really know that the root cause of the intruding sea water was climate change.

i spoke with youth leaders across the four severely affected communities in ilaje who all lampooned the current situation, laying the blame on chevron and the government responsible for oil drilling in their region. although they had more understanding of climate change than some of their elders, they were more concerned with the injustices occurring, especially surrounding the failure of the company to honor the agreement signed with ilaje regional development committee.

a community leader weighs in

“50 years ago, everything in this community was good… (it had a) serene and peaceful environment until the oil companies came to start oil exploration. they started following their process with a disguise of making our communities better. little did we know that they came to bring our communities to doom.” said baale of mese kingdom. baale is the community monarch of mese kingdom who has lived all his life in the community. he occupies the supreme office in the community.

“the fish in the water are reducing, likewise other water resources. the sea keeps encroaching (on) our abodes, destroying our properties. the oil companies are supposed to provide infrastructure, potable water, electricity but they have not done any of these. should i have the opportunity to stop their activities, i would sign the paper,” baale said.

my efforts

i have been in constant touch with Ìlàje youth organizations to access accurate data which will enhance more knowledge on the rate, time, and season at which the sea sweeps off the settlements in order to be familiar with tracking evolving details on this recurring environmental issue. mayokun iyaomolere, a fellow environmentalist who is a native of Ìlàje has been monitoring the collected data. the data provides updates on the current situation of Ìlàje region.

i have also been an active advocate of ilaje people. although i have grown more discouraged that my advocacy is being heard in the government, some actions have happened and they are beginning to act. some few months ago, the governor of ondo state in an interview sought the assistance of international organizations to join the state in finding solutions. i have also been taking every opportunity to teach the people of ilaje on climate education.

required adaptive measures

more funding and infrastructure are needed to keep these communities safe and less oil drilling is needed to slow the effects of climate change on the sea level. governments must act and citizens must be educated on the issue so that their voices may be heard. unfortunately for now, the situation in Ìlàje continues to worsen and oil exploration continues. i hope the government takes quick steps and involves the appropriate sectors in providing sea embankments as is done in other coastal regions such as bonny island in river state, brass in bayelsa, eko atlantic in lagos state and more. more so, climate change education curriculum should be provided especially for the students of ilaje region. this will help the younger generations in the region to prepare for climate impacts.

one time when i was a child, i waited for weeks, hoping to see my father arrive and lead us to the annual christmas gathering. after some time, he still had not come and we were getting sick of waiting.

but all of a sudden, my friends glimpsed him from afar and one of them ran inside to notify me of my father’s long awaited arrival. i rushed outside watching him come closer and closer. he was not walking or driving, but riding on a strange device. 

my old man was riding on a bicycle wearing a beautiful smile. i’m sure he expected me to return the smile but i became disappointed the more he drew closer, so i turned my back. i went inside the house with my head hanging down.

i had suffered disappointment because i saw my father on a bicycle when virtually all the other fathers on my street had by that time switched to cars.

for a long time, bicycles had been a popular form of transportation for people of all classes in nigeria. then in the early 1990s, the mentality shared by most people in my community changed to prefer cars over bicycles, relegating them to be considered only suitable for the poor and lower class. 

the use of bicycles in nigeria has been drastically reduced over the years in the name of development, notably since the beginning of the 4th republic. this period of economic and political reform in nigeria started in 1999 and initiated many market reforms. 

these days, almost everyone prefers motorcycles for both close and long distance trips. car ownership has even turned into competition, with many seeing cars as a status symbol.

according to o.j. matthew, a research fellow in the institute of ecology and environmental studies, obafemi awolowo university nigeria, “carbon dioxide and other notable greenhouse gases, such as methane, tropospheric ozone, and halogen gases, are known to produce a warming effect that triggers climate change.” individuals have some control over greenhouse gas emissions as, “one of the leading sources of carbon emissions to the atmosphere is transportation. therefore, choosing to always ride a bicycle over a few car trips, as your transportation habits, could significantly help to protect the environment from climate change impacts,” matthew said.

unfortunately, according to ceic data global database, vehicle registrations rose nationally in nigeria from 3,750 in 2015 to 11,605 in 2020. 

my efforts to save the bikes

in my neighborhood, it is not uncommon to see a family of five with five different cars parked in their compound. 

the tendency of people in my country to prefer cars over bicycles seems to be a result of a lack of education. 

in order to address this, i shared a vision back in 2016 to increase education and familiarity with the role of bicycles on the environment.

this was aimed at people in my locality and i took every opportunity possible to start teaching people how to ride bicycles. at the time, i was the president of environmental control and management students’ association (ecomsa) in my school which led me to meet an organization of young people called ‘life fitness cycling club’ (lfcc). we struck a deal by subtly reintroducing cycling to the people and massively campaigning for bicycle riding in the society using social media and in-person meetings.

i led ecomsa to push the concept of bicycle riding harder during the commemoration of world environment day 2016 held in obafemi awolowo university ile-ife nigeria in collaboration with life fitness cycling club which recorded approximately 100 participants while thousands watched our activities online.

our group planted trees and rode bicycles around the schools and community to raise awareness for the environment. 

shortly after, we noticed an increase in the number of cyclists on campus as lecturers were coming to the school on bicycles.

prior to the event, i had secured another collaboration with nigerian conservation foundation (ncf) in lagos and nigerian television authority (nta), in which the nta used their media platform to project our activities to nigerians all over the country. 

the broadcast actually worked as our activities during world environment day 2016 went viral and appeared on more than 37 blogs. 

electrifying nigeria with thinkbikes

these days, biking technology is rapidly changing with electric bikes growing in popularity around the world. 

tolulope olukokun, the founder of thinkbikes, an electric bike store in ibadan, oyo state nigeria, is a proponent of biking as a way to mitigate carbon emissions in nigeria.

“crafting sustainable solutions has been a passion, and the electric bicycle emerged from a deep commitment to address environmental challenges,” olukokun said.

the primary motivation was to provide affordable and eco-friendly transportation in africa. recognizing the impact of traditional transportation on the environment, the vision was to introduce an electric bicycle that aligns with the continent’s needs for efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable mobility. 

the reception has been promising. olukokun says that people appreciate the accessibility and environmental benefits. according to the business man, we have witnessed a growing enthusiasm for electric bicycles, especially among urban commuters and environmentally conscious individuals.

his electric bicycles contribute significantly to reducing carbon emissions, according to olukokun. by replacing traditional fuel-dependent modes of transport, they’ve estimated a substantial decrease in the business’s carbon footprint.

this aligns with global efforts to combat climate change by promoting cleaner transportation alternatives. challenges, while inevitable, have mainly revolved around infrastructure and awareness. electric bicycles are relatively new in many regions, and establishing the necessary charging stations has been a hurdle. additionally, fostering awareness about the benefits of electric bicycles requires concerted efforts.

in the coming years, thinkbikes plans to expand its footprint across africa. with an increasing focus on sustainability, olukokun aims to establish partnerships, enhance infrastructure, and promote policies supporting electric mobility. “we see thinkbikes as a catalyst for change, influencing not only transportation habits but contributing to a broader shift toward a greener and more sustainable future,” olukokun said.

my regrets, my hopes

ironically, i’m now the one who wishes to see my father ride on a bicycle so that i could encourage him with a warming smile, and he is now the one who prefers a car for mobility.

now that i am educated on the climate impacts of cars, i regret the reaction i had as a child. i hope my story serves as a clue to what is going on across different communities in terms of the perception toward bicycles as a means of transportation. 

education and sensitization are important aspects of promoting green modes of transportation and should be promoted in nigeria especially in rural and urban communities.

going to school as a child used to be fun. aside from the expected interesting knowledge imparted by the school teachers, there were other aspects attached to the daily school routine which were once so amusing. among these were the abundant free foods on the streets that led to my school. there used to be different kinds of fruit-bearing trees pounced on by the students, especially when returning home. 

my father’s neighbor, mr. ige took it to another level — he specially created a garden with indigenous fruits and vegetables such as spondias mombin (iyeye), african star apple (agbalumo), irvingia gabonensis (oro) in his yard. despite struggling financially himself, he had done so much to reduce hunger in the town to a bare minimum.

however, strolling around the same streets today, one can hardly find a single tree planted as they have been uprooted for the construction of more buildings for businesses and supposedly developmental projects. today, deforestation is one of the major drivers of climate change, and in my hometown in nigeria, it contributes to ravaging food scarcity as well.

according to the un world food programme, over 25 million nigerians face acute hunger. this calls for urgent concern as it aligns with the predictions of other global bodies, which further elucidate the effects of climate change on food security in nigeria.

more so, the 2022 global hunger index affirms that nigeria ranks 103rd out of the 121 countries with sufficient data to calculate 2022 ghi scores. with a score of 27.3, nigeria has a level of hunger that is serious. this suggests that 12.9 percent of the global population in extreme poverty was found in nigeria as of 2022.

fewer trees, more challenges

yusuf hameed, a farmer in southwestern nigeria, lamented on the increasing rate of deforestation in his community, claiming that the songs of birds fade each day. 

“deforestation has been a concern over the years. on a daily basis, i notice a diminution of the level of the songs made by the birds, as there are very few trees around,” hameed said. 

the disappearance of local birds is more than just a bad omen. with fewer trees surrounding his farm, hameed attributes a growing number of poultry deaths to the lack of shade. “this has affected my poultry farm considering the intense amount of unbearable heat that penetrates into the poultry during the day, leading to fatality of the birds,” he said. 

fighting the link between deforestation, climate change and food insecurity

this issue is coupled with the growing problem of climate change, which is a significant factor in nigeria’s decreasing agricultural productivity, according to the fao.

“climate change poses a significant impact on farm produce, primarily through changes in temperature, precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events. higher temperatures mean quicker rate of spoilage and deterioration of perishable produce after harvest,” said babajide oluwase, ceo of ecotutu, a cleantech company that strives to make cooling more affordable and accessible for businesses, especially in the agriculture sector.  

“[increased heat] leads to post-harvest losses, affecting the quantity and quality of farm produce available to feed the teeming population,” he said. 

farmers on the ground-level are also employing solutions to drier conditions. stella arowolo, who also goes by Àgbébìnrin, is a farmer and young leader in abeokuta, a city in southwestern part of nigeria who uses a method known as soilless farming.

“so in respect to my kind of farming, which is soilless farming, the whole system mitigates climate change because it is a refined, profitable and sustainable way to produce food in order to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and ensure sustainable food systems,” said arowolo.

soilless farming makes use of a hydroponics system that can save water, space, and nutrients. plants such as rice and maize have been tested on soilless farming and they yielded good produce. however, a major challenge of soilless farming in nigeria is the inadequate infrastructure and lack of resources needed to supply the nutrients necessary for strong yields.

another challenge associated with soilless farming is the cost. according to Àgbébìnrin, “in the process of laying hands on alternative means [of] food production, [technologies and innovations] are being explored which are actually expensive compared to the conventional ways of farming.” 

cultivating a more sustainable future in nigeria

farmers need to be empowered with financial assistance and/or fruits-bearing trees for them to plant and monitor till they grow to maturity. this support could be implemented by the government through the involvement of policy makers. 

in addition, formulation and implementation of policies for effective environmental governance and climate action which protect forest resources and enforce massive afforestation projects are highly needed. 

this also educates people on food security and regulates the incessant depletion of trees, animals and farmlands. more so, environmental education should be taught in the school curriculum to erase environmental illiteracy starting from the grassroots.

despite the challenges, i can still see hope in forest restoration. community engagement and education are key, which is why i am engaging my community on sustainable interventions such as “igiwuló campaign.” igiwuló is a yoruba word that means, “trees are important.” it is a green educational strategy designed to engage people on tree planting in schools and communities.

igiwuló merges teaching and afforestation together through programs that involve young people in their schools and their parents in their communities, it teaches the effects of deforestation, citing examples such as flooding, erosion, high temperature and food security, and proposes solutions to these challenges.

through these efforts, i hope to restore my childhood memories of trees and fruits covering the city streets and make vital nutrition available to the neighborhood kids once again.