Nigerian Government Advised To Create Policy Framework To Control Scavenger Activities

The federal government has been tasked with developing a policy framework that addresses and controls scavengers’ activities in the country.

Despite their negative reputation, scavengers are believed to be finding new ways to increase revenue, and despite facing numerous challenges, their contribution to the country’s economy has been enormous.

People have continued to advocate for regulation of their activities to eliminate crimes and maximise their potential.

Speaking at the stakeholders workshop organised by the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) in conjunction with the INCLUDE knowledge platform in the Netherlands titled, “Formalising the Scavenger Economy for Sustainable Development in Nigeria,” Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, Director General of IPCR, said: “Whether we like it or not, scavengers are very important to waste management and our ecosystem; in fact, they are the frontline people.

“As humans, we produce waste on a daily basis, and these are the people who assist us in picking it up from waste areas to the garbage dump; they are everywhere, and it is unfortunate to note that they face stigmatisation; some see them as security threats, while others label them as thieves, which is not supposed to be; they are neglected by society, which is why we decided to conduct this research.”

He lamented that scavengers’ activities are sub-optimal, but noted that they can have a significant impact on the Nigerian economy in terms of resource conservation, job creation, and reducing the magnitude of waste disposal problems.

He lamented that poor waste management and extreme poverty are twin challenges that contribute significantly to the increase in the number of people doing this job. Despite the challenges, many of them earn a living from it and care for their families.

He stated that the workshop was timely and that scavengers should be given top priority in light of the current economic challenges in Nigeria, particularly in terms of diversification.

He stated, “We are grateful to our Dutch partners for providing funding to enable IPCR to conduct research in Abuja and Lagos. This research took us to one of Lagos’ largest dump sites, and you should see how people live here. We also examined the level of vulnerability of the people there, both adults and children, which raises policy concerns about why we need to zoom in and provide policies through research on this group of people because they are so important to our lives. A society that cares for the marginalised is poised for growth, development, and stability. We must prioritise the access to healthcare, financial inclusion, and other basic amenities for waste pickers.It is also necessary to ensure that they have a National Identity card in order to gain access to facilities such as banks, etc.”

Dr. Izuoma Adindu, Associate Research Professor of Law at the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies in Abuja, also spoke at the workshop and stated, “Circular Economy principles are making waves globally. Countries are no longer living on linear economy; they are moving towards circular economy, which means reuse, recycling, and nothing is considered useless; everything is considered important and can be used to contribute to the economy by way of integrating or strimming this marginalised people, who in some countries have gone ahead to have a law and enactment on secular economy, like countries in the Asia Pacific region, that we have almost the same in terms of vulnerability. In Australia, there is a Circular Economy Act that was used to include these people, knowing that they are at the forefront of the circular economy concept.

“And, of course, they are very important because they contribute to climate policy mitigation goals. So we have the Climate Change Act, and it does not even mention these people. As I previously stated, the majority of laws and policies make no provision for them.