Lagos State has made significant progress towards producing useful energy from the amounts of solid garbage produced in the city.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Monday, officially announced a collaboration with Harvest Waste Consortium, a Dutch company, to build a high-efficiency waste-to-energy plant on the Epe landfill. This plant will use cutting-edge technology to produce clean energy from commercial, industrial, and municipal solid waste.

With the technology improving energy security and diversification and producing 60–75 megawatts of baseload electricity yearly, the creative waste management solution is predicted to remove about 40,000 houses from the national electrical grid.

The partnership with the Amsterdam, Netherlands-based firm was at the instance of the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, while the agreement was signed under the supervision of the Lagos State Office of the Public Private Partnership (PPP).

Sanwo-Olu said the inadequacies of the current waste disposal practices in the State led to the sealing of the partnership to bring about innovative alternatives towards reducing environmental pollution, improving air quality, and stemming degradation and contamination of water resources that posed threats to the life quality in the State.

The Governor said the partnership represented a “monumental step” forward of his administration’s waste management strategy, stressing that the move marked another milestone in the journey to build a clean, healthy, and more sustainable city.

He said: “Today marks a significant milestone in the journey towards a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable Lagos, as we formalise a partnership with Harvest Waste Consortium. This is a collaboration that promises to transform waste management and energy production in our State.

“The growth of our population signifies progress and opportunity, just as it presents challenges, particularly in managing the increasing volumes of municipal solid waste. We sought innovative and sustainable solutions through extensive consultations, visits, and a thorough exchange of information with our partners from the Netherlands.

“We are thrilled to announce the construction and operation of a High Efficiency Waste-to-Energy plant in Lagos. This state-of-the-art facility will be built with the capacity to process 2,250 tonnes of waste daily, representing a monumental step forward in our waste management strategy. The plant will not only provide a sustainable alternative to the current practice of waste dumping, it will also divert more than 95 per cent of our waste from landfill sites.”

Sanwo-Olu said the initiative would significantly reduce environmental footprint of Lagos waste disposal methods, with the plant expected to trap about 550,000 metric tons of Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emitted daily from dumpsite.

Beyond the environmental benefits, the Governor said the project, which has over 25 years operational lifespan, would stimulate economic activities around the initiative, while attracting major investments to the State and creating jobs.

Sanwo-Olu said the technology had not only proven reliable but had also been tested by the European Commission as the best available technology in terms of efficiency.

“The facility will ensure that the potentially harmful effects of municipal solid waste are minimised, thereby protecting public health and the environment. This project will not only enhance public health and well-being but also contribute to the circular economy by reducing landfill dependency and promoting recycling,” the Governor said.

Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, said the partnership created a new mandate for Lagos to seek solid waste management solutions.

He said the partnership would make the State turn its burden to wealth and create new value from waste conversion.

The partnership, Wahab said, is fully backed by the Dutch government.

Deputy Consul General of the Netherlands Consulate, Ms. Leonie Van der Stijl, said the partnership presented the possibility of international collaboration to solve local challenges, noting that Lagos, through the pact, became the first partner of the Dutch waste management.

The envoy gave assurance of the Dutch government’s commitment to the success of the agreement.

Managing Director of Harvest Waste Consortium, Mr. Evert Lichtenbelt, said the firm had built international reputation in managing solid waste in a proper way.

“Amsterdam and Lagos share similar challenges in managing population and waste. What we do is exporting knowledge on managing waste properly. This MoU has set a good pace for both partner. We made a proposal to manage part of the solid waste of Lagos and in future, we can expand,” Lichtenbelt said.

Wale Edun, minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy says President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved an emergency economic plan that would be implemented within the next six months.

Edun made this known on Tuesday in Abuja during the sectoral report of President Bola Tinubu’s first year in office.

He stated that the president gave the approval to further stabilise the economy.

“A fresh intervention approval from Mr. President today is the economic emergency plan for stabilising the economy and to be implemented over the next six months,” Edun said.

“This was put together by the president’s economic team, by the private sector representatives, by the sub-national or the state governments.

“We have all sat together in recent weeks and we had a package from the President’s desk this afternoon for his approval.

“Why it was afternoon was because it was this morning that we got the final clearance from a state governor who had said he wanted the final chance to review  the inputs.

”With that clearance, we’re now good to go in terms of the major economic plan for mr. president to approve.”

Speaking further, the minister said the government now has enough to clear debts.

According to Edun, unlike when the administration came into power, the government did not have enough to pay its way.

He said through the implementation of technological change and procedures, the revenue of the country has been totally revamped and increased substantially.

“What that means is that the government can now pay its way. The government is paying its debt service without resulting in Ways and Means, particularly international debt service,” the minister said.

“That process that has been put in place, is one that we have mandated not just by Mr. President, but even the national assembly in passing the 2024 budget, insisted that Nigeria’s money that was in the hands of parastatals, agencies, or other enterprises needed to be brought in.

“That has been done by the government, not in as comfortable a situation as we would like to be, but onwards where we’ve paid our way domestically, internationally.”

Edun also said outstanding payments of $200 million have been made with the Islamic Development Bank in shareholding.

“Things that do not allow confidence to be built and do not allow Nigerians to have that vital place when they sit at a table and they are pulling money. All those are a thing of the past. They have all been paid out,” he added.

On economic growth, Edun said Nigeria’s economy is experiencing a positive gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 2.98 percent  compared to the 2.3 percent growth seen in the first quarter (Q1) of 2023.

He said the agricultural sector, which is critical to the economy, is now showing marginal growth.

“This growth in agriculture provides the monetary authority with the leverage needed to stabilise foreign exchange (FX) rates,” he said.

“By continuing on this path and intensifying our efforts, we are on track to lift many Nigerians out of poverty.

“This sector’s progress is expected to play a significant role in combating inflation, especially through a favourable wet season harvest that should stabilise food prices.”

Edun said the ministry is, therefore, looking at a situation where inflation comes down.

He said when the inflation rate comes down, it would give the monetary authorities a chance to stabilise the exchange rate, as well as an opportunity for interest rates to come down and investments to come in.

This, Edun said, would in turn increase productivity, create more jobs, and reduce poverty.

Credit: The Cable.

Two separate statements issued by Bayo Onanuga and Ajuri Ngelale, presidential spokespersons, about President Bola Tinubu’s activities commemorating his one year in office has sparked confusion.

Magaji Tambuwal, clerk of the national assembly, on Tuesday morning, said Tinubu would deliver an address on the “state of the nation” at the joint sitting of the senate and house of representatives.

He also added that the president will also inaugurate the national assembly library.

Hours later, Onanuga, presidential special adviser on information and strategy, corroborated Tambuwal’s statement, noting that Tinubu’s address at the parliament is part of the activities to mark his one year in office.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not make a broadcast to the nation on Wednesday to celebrate his first anniversary as the leader of Nigeria,” Onanuga said in a statement.

“Instead, the President will address a joint session of the National Assembly, which has lined up a programme to commemorate 25 years of the nation’s democratic journey at both the executive and legislative levels.

“President Tinubu’s speech will dwell on the achievements of his administration and Nigeria’s democracy since the military ceded power in 1999.

“Former Senate President, Senator David Mark, former speaker of the House of Representatives and now President Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, are all lined up to address the parliament.

“Also lined up to speak is the former military ruler, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, who handed over power to civilian administration in 1999.

“At the end of the speeches, President Tinubu will commission the National Assembly Library and Resource Center, now to be known as the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Building. Bayo Onanuga Special Adviser on Information & Strategy, May 28, 2024”.

However, in a separate statement, Ngelale, special adviser to the president on media and publicity, said Tinubu will not address the national assembly, describing Tambuwal and Onanuga’s statements as “false”.

“In view of public commentary concerning the President delivering a speech before a Joint Sitting of the National Assembly tomorrow, May 29, 2024, it is important to state that this information is false and unauthorized as the Office of the President was not involved in the planning of the event,” Ajuri said in a statement.