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Communique Issued at the end of the School of Governance organized by CODAF with focus on Waste Governance at Ughelli, Delta State

Waste Management



The Community Development Advocacy Foundation (CODAF), also known as Rural Community Empowerment Initiative (RUCEi) organized the second edition of its School of Governance (SoG) on May 24, 2021 in Ughelli, Delta State. The SoG that had as it theme: "Waste Governance" was aimed at creating the opportunities for all members of the society to make meaningful contributions to decision-making in the waste management sector and seek to broaden the range of people who have access to such opportunities. And to avail stakeholders the opportunity to interact, learn and proffer measures to strengthen political systems, government mechanisms and legal systems in which democracy and respect of human rights are secured through effective waste management.

Approaches used throughout the training involved a combination of plenary and small group activities, presentations, discussion and experiential learning. A course advisor, Fred Nohwo, often generated discussions and led in presentations and providing guidance to facilitators and clarifications to participants. Participants were therefore treated to insightful presentations by Dr. Zibima Denyefa, Senior Lecturer, Niger Delta University, Bayelsa - Waste Governance: Concept and misconceptions in waste,  Fred Nohwo, ACERD - Achieving Zero Waste: Challenges and opportunities, Babawale Obayanju, ERA/FoEN, Benin City - Waste to Wealth: How much efforts is being made and what impacts? Others were from Benson Dotun Fasanya, Centre for Earth Work, Jos - Achieving Zero Waste: False Solutions Vs Real Solutions, SACHI STAFF - Risk and Health Challenges associated with Waste Management and Titigbe Onyekachi, National Volunteer Lead, CODAF, Lagos - X-raying the Lagos Waste Management Strategy.


Participants were selected from among Environmental Health Officers attached to the Ughelli North Local Government, Civil Society Organizations, Students and environmental activists. The Participants saluted the idea of the School of Governance by CODAF while noting that it has some unique human rights tools and relevant social models which can help to improve the health, environment, economic and social activity of indigenous  people and beyond through community-focused and participatory initiatives.

At the end of the engaging discussions, Participants observed thus:
  1. That the volume of waste generated in the society does not actually constitute the problem but the inability of governments and waste-disposal firms to keep up with their mandates and full responsibility towards ensuring zero waste, 
  2. The main causes of the poor waste management practice in Nigeria can be linked to a failure in governance (lack of technical know-how, insufficient budgets; weak legislation; low public awareness; corruption, conflict; political instability; and lack of political will to enforce waste management guidelines),
  3. In states in Nigeria with effective waste management policies, it remains uncertain how such policies are being translated into action and what progress, if any, has been made towards achieving zero waste,
  4. Waste management practices in Nigeria results in the indiscriminate dumping and leakage of waste into the environment, thereby creating the risks of disease burden, flooding and environmental pollution,
  5. People are willing to pay for waste management system if it is well coordinated, 
  6. Most of the litters we see in the environment today are mainly from passengers who dispose their waste while on transit,
  7. Zero waste is a revolution in the relationship between waste and people and a new way of thinking that aims to safeguard the health and improve the lives of everyone who produces, handles, works with, or is affected by waste-in other words, all of us.
Recommendations
  1. The needs for governments to establish a functional partnerships across waste actors and creating synergy between public and private actors and the layered roles in ensuring effective waste management,
  2. Developing policy instruments for waste prevention and reduction by keeping pace with growing and emerging waste streams and innovating strategies to deal with them,
  3. All business owners must engage in environmental cleanup exercise as a way if taking responsibility to ensure that their immediate environment is clean and this must be supported by law enforcement agents,
  4. There is need to inculcate waste management in school curriculums as a way of raising awareness from the grassroots,
  5. Government should press for Public Private Partnerships Laws on packaging and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and public private partnerships as solutions as well to zero waste,


Signed by:

Benin Richard                                                              Ubrei-Joe, M. Mariere
Executive Director, CODAF                                                      Course Coordinator
                                                                                Nohwo Fred
                                                                            Course Advisor



WHAT'S CODAF

CODAF also known as Rural Community Empowerment Initiative (RUCEi) works to bridge the communication gap between policy makers and the grassroots AND raise awareness of rural dwellers and empowering them to be active players in environmental decision making.

This mandate is anchored on article 24 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights which states that “All peoples shall have the right to a general satisfactory environment favourable to their development

OurGoal

To engage in intervention projects that builds the capacity and empowers rural community people to defend their collective rights to participating in natural resource governance through a right-based approach

OurMission

To engage in intervention projects that builds the capacity and empowers rural community people to defend their collective rights to participating in natural resource governance through a right-based approach

OurVision

We envision a self-sufficient community in the management of their environment and resources without any form of marginalization.