Nigeria launches digital waste marketplace to power circular economy, green jobs

NIGERIA – The Federal Government of Nigeria has launched the National Waste Marketplace Programme (NWMP), a landmark digital platform designed to revolutionize waste management by linking waste generators, collectors, recyclers, and end-users in a transparent, traceable, and profitable ecosystem.

Unveiled in Abuja by the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, the NWMP aims to formalize Nigeria’s waste value chain while fostering innovation, job creation, and sustainable environmental practices.

“The platform will leverage technology to create economic linkages across the recycling ecosystem while enhancing environmental compliance, material recovery, and sustainable production and consumption,” Lawal said.

He noted that the initiative aligns with Nigeria’s National Policy on Solid Waste Management, the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Program, and the National Circular Economy Roadmap.

It also reinforces the country’s commitments under international environmental frameworks, including the Basel Convention, the Paris Agreement, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goals 12 and 13 on responsible consumption and climate action.

Lawal urged collaboration across all sectors, emphasizing that environmental stewardship must become both a duty and an opportunity.

“By working together, we can build a more organized waste management system that promotes accountability, creates employment, and supports a cleaner and more sustainable Nigeria,” he said.

Professor Innocent Barikor, Director-General of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), described the NWMP as a milestone in digital environmental governance.

He said the system would enhance traceability and accountability, ensuring that recyclers, producers, and consumers operate within a regulated framework.

“The program demonstrates what is possible when government, the private sector, and citizens unite to turn waste into wealth,” Barikor noted.

The platform is expected to create a regulated secondary materials market and train thousands of youths and micro-enterprises in circular business models, generating green jobs and supporting Nigeria’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Private-sector partners have also welcomed the move. Nkem Orakwe, Founder and CEO of Recycle Stack Limited, said the platform could empower 10 million Nigerians by 2035 through training, certification, and formal integration into the circular economy.

“Waste is becoming wealth, and this program will redefine Nigeria’s waste management landscape through digital innovation,” he said.

Similar digital solutions are emerging across Africa, from Kenya’s Mr. Green Africa platform, which connects waste pickers directly to recyclers, to South Africa’s BanQu Waste Blockchain, enhancing traceability and fair trade in recyclables.

Nigeria’s NWMP places the country at the forefront of tech-driven environmental transformation, showcasing how digital infrastructure can turn waste into a catalyst for sustainability, enterprise, and national growth.

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