The Yobe State Government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have concluded plans to equip informal pushcart waste collectors in Damaturu with electric tricycles under an earned-ownership model. The intervention is aimed at expanding doorstep waste collection and improving the livelihoods of informal waste collectors in the state capital. UNDP representative, Ismail Bunkar, disclosed this at the stakeholders’ workshop on enhancing waste management capacities in Yobe State, organised by the state government and UNDP with support from the Yobe Solutions for Internally Displaced Persons and Host Communities (SOLID) Project. Bunkar said the intervention was part of Activity 4.2 of the Japan-funded project, “Accelerating Recovery of Affected Communities from Security and Humanitarian Crises in Northeast Nigeria.” He said the programme would support the state government to expand doorstep waste collection by upgrading informal pushcart waste collectors with electric collection tricycles. According to him, the earned-ownership model would enable the collectors to acquire the tricycles while providing them with more efficient tools for waste collection. He said the intervention would also be supported by a public awareness and behaviour-change campaign to encourage residents to adopt proper waste disposal practices. “The intervention will not only improve waste collection but also strengthen the livelihoods of informal waste collectors by equipping them with more efficient tools,” he said. The workshop, held at Briskpoint Hotel, Damaturu, brought together government officials, development partners, waste management stakeholders, traditional and religious leaders and other key actors. Declaring the workshop open, the Secretary to the Yobe State Government, Dr Mohammed Goje, stressed the importance of effective waste management to public health, environmental sanitation and the wellbeing of residents. A major highlight of the workshop was the presentation of findings from an assessment of the Enhanced Integrated Waste Management System in Damaturu by the SOLID Project Coordinator, Alhaji Suleiman Dauda. Dauda said the assessment provided an evidence-based overview of waste management in the state capital and would guide the identification of priority areas for intervention. The stakeholders also discussed measures to strengthen waste collection and promote improved waste disposal practices among residents.
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