FG moves to curb methane emissions from dumpsites, tackle waste crisis

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

The Federal Government has intensified efforts to tackle methane emissions from dumpsites as part of a broader push to reform Nigeria’s waste management system, combat climate change and turn waste into economic opportunities.

The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, disclosed this  recently in Abuja, at a stakeholder engagement workshop on the Multi-Solving Action for Methane Reduction in Nigeria (MAMRN) Project.

Lawal, represented by the Director, Pollution Control and Environmental Health Department of the Federal Ministry of Environment, Mrs. Omotunde Adeola, said the government was implementing policies to reduce methane emissions from waste while promoting sustainable waste management practices nationwide.

He described methane as a potent greenhouse gas generated from dumpsites and stressed the need for Nigerians to adopt responsible waste disposal practices.

According to him, the ministry’s “Waste-to-Wealth” initiative is aimed at transforming waste from an environmental burden into a valuable economic resource, while creating opportunities for cleaner communities and sustainable livelihoods.

The minister also linked poor waste management to flooding, warning residents against indiscriminate dumping of refuse in drainage channels.

He said addressing the country’s waste management challenges would require collective action by government, communities, private-sector operators and other stakeholders.

Speaking at the event, the Director-General of the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), Mrs. Omotenioye Majekodunmi, said the MAMRN project was designed to strengthen Nigeria’s efforts to reduce methane emissions from the waste sector.

Majekodunmi, represented by the Director, Energy, Transportation and Infrastructure, Mr. Michael Ivenso, said the project would support the development of a National Action Plan for Methane Reduction in the Waste Sector.

She said the initiative would also strengthen existing policies, build the capacity of stakeholders and promote sustainable waste management practices across the country.

According to her, methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases contributing significantly to global warming, making its reduction critical to slowing the rise in global temperatures and achieving international climate commitments.

She noted that methane mitigation was particularly important to Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement, stressing that open dumping and poor waste management remained significant sources of methane emissions.

Majekodunmi said effective intervention in the waste sector could deliver multiple benefits, including improved environmental and public health, cleaner communities, resource efficiency, green jobs and a better quality of life.

She commended Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADeV) Nigeria, the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Climate Change Matters and other partners for supporting efforts to reduce methane emissions and strengthen Nigeria’s climate response.

The workshop was organised by the NCCC in collaboration with the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Climate Change Matters and SRADeV Nigeria.