Opinion
Bagging Waste, The Amaechi Initiative
Until the enactment of law by the Rivers State government to make it compulsory for residents to bag waste, the environmental hazards caused by such waste can be seen than imagined.
Again, since the law carries with it heavy fines or imprisonment, it brings about the consciousness to keep the environment clean at all times. This laudable innovation was perhaps one of the proactive measures initiated by the Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi -led administration to bring Port Harcourt back to its lost glory of what was known as ‘the Garden City’ of blessed memory. Anyone who perhaps left the city about six months ago before the introduction of bagging of waste, would agree today that the streets, major roads and drainages are no longer adorned with waste such as sachet water bags and the drainages contain little or no waste in them.
A cross-section of residents on most streets in the Borikiri axis of Port Harcourt township namely, Harold Wilson, Etche, Kolokuma, Churchill Streets and residents in Ndoki Housing Easte, have confirmed that the bagging of waste was a policy in the right direction. Apart from the recent inauguration of three agencies in the state to combat the menace of refuse, the residents in the Ndoki Housing Estate agreed that this proactive measures will help to reduce the environmental hazard caused by waste, when not properly disposed off at its dump sites.
A resident in Ndoki Housing Estate, Mr. Godwin Koko said the sight of refuse in the estate has disappeared since the introduction of bagging of waste. He said the bagging of waste are more safe to human health as the stench emanating from refuse dumps in the Housing Estate has been reduced to the barest minimum. However, Koko said the waste management agency recently inaugurated, should swing into action to actualize the waste-to-wealth dream of the present administration, Chief Tonye Briggs, a resident in the same Housing Estate shared this optimism, but said, the biggest single reason why the waste management agency should swing into action is that, the volume of waste is high in the estate and when properly harnessed could bring another source of internally generated revenue for the state.
Another resident, Madam Rachel Afonyamieka said, the bagging of waste is cheaper, arguing that, before the waste could be trampled upon by motorists, the contractors must have carried the bags containing them in their trucks. She further reasoned that with the introduction of the bagging of waste, most streets and motorable roads are no longer littered with refuse unlike before. She said, the refuse while being conveyed to the dump site overflowed to create public eye sore and sometimes the bulk of the littered waste cause vehicular traffic jam on the high way.
However, the Njemanze Street residents seem to have a different opinion about the unauthorised dump site near their neighbourhood which they say, had made life unbearable for them. A resident Mr. Napoleon Oyepho said most of the refuse disposed at the empty space at the Njemanze water front are not bagged hence the stench emanating from the refuse had caused health hazard. The resident and the contractors Oyepho said, should be blamed for dumping refuse at the open space created by Njemanze water front make-shift buildings which was demolished by the state government for the purpose of urban renewal.
Another employee of a national newspaper, who spoke under condition of anonymity said the refusal of the residents to bag the waste from their homes had for a long time caused residents a lot of inconveniences and expressed fear of outbreak of epidemic, if the situation was not checked. He called on the waste management Agency to impose sanction and bring to book residents responsible for disposing of waste on authorized dump sites. Mrs. Umorem Akpan a food vendor who corroborated the argument of the employee said those who violate the prohibition of disposing of waste without baging should be fined according to the law. She said, if the waste were bagged the odour emanating from this temporary dump site could not have been so offensive as to cause near health hazard.
Mr. Ade Adeyeogun, Sole Administrator of the newly inaugurated State Waste Management Agency said the agency would soon swing into action to correct some of the anormaly associated with waste disposal in Port Harcourt and environs.
He said the agency was not ready to sack any contractor, but appealed to the contractors to redouble their effort to clear bags containing waste some times left by the road side for several days at residential areas.
Ade Adeyeogun further appealed to residents to imbibe the spirit of cleaniness in order to restore Port Harcourt to its garden city status. He said the agency would bring the relevant law to bear on residents who cultivate the habit of disposing waste without using the approved bags. The spokesman for the state Environmental Sanitation Authority, Mr. Olalekan Ige who corroborated the warning of Ade Adeyeogun explained that the Environmental Sanitation Authority mandated some refuse contractors to use some dump sites as a stop gap measure. He argued that due to challenges faced by the authority with regards to available dump sites, it allowed before now, some sites like the Njemanze water front. He said the refuse contractors have been directed to go back to the Rumuolumeni area where a permanent dump site has been provided.
Ige advised residents of the Njemanze area to report any one dumping refuse with or without the approved bags to the relevant authority for prosecution, as the area has been fumigated.
He said the introduction of baging of waste and the promulgation of the law to enforce it, has brought maximum value to waste management in the state. Noting that the bagging of waste is cost effective and provides investment opportunity for investors that repeatedly overlooked the waste to wealth initiative of the state government.
From all indications, Nigeria possesses enough human and material resources to become a true economic powerhouse in Africa. According to the National Population Commission (NPC, 2023), the country’s population has grown steadily within the last decade, presently standing at about 220 million people—mostly young, vibrant, and innovative. Nigeria also remains the sixth-largest oil producer in the world, with enormous reserves of gas, fertile agricultural land, and human capital.
Yet, despite this enormous potential, the country continues to grapple with underdevelopment, poverty, unemployment, and insecurity. Recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS, 2023) show that about 129 million Nigerians currently live below the poverty line. Most families can no longer afford basic necessities, even as the government continues to project a rosy economic picture.
The Subsidy Question
The removal of fuel subsidy in 2023 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been one of the most controversial policy decisions in Nigeria’s recent history. According to the president, subsidy removal was designed to reduce fiscal burden, unify the foreign exchange rate, attract investment, curb inflation, and discourage excessive government borrowing.
While these objectives are theoretically sound, the reality for ordinary Nigerians has been severe hardship. Fuel prices more than tripled, transportation costs surged, and food inflation—already high—rose above 30% (NBS, 2023). The World Bank (2023) estimates that an additional 7.1 million Nigerians were pushed into poverty after subsidy removal.
A Critical Economic View
As an economist, I argue that the problem was not subsidy removal itself—which was inevitable—but the timing, sequencing, and structural gaps in Nigeria’s implementation.
- Structural Miscalculation
Nigeria’s four state-owned refineries remain nonfunctional. By removing subsidies without local refining capacity, the government exposed the economy to import-price pass-through effects—where global oil price shocks translate directly into domestic inflation. This was not just a timing issue but a fundamental policy miscalculation.
- Neglect of Social Safety Nets
Countries like Indonesia (2005) and Ghana (2005) removed subsidies successfully only after introducing cash transfers, transport vouchers, and food subsidies for the poor (World Bank, 2005). Nigeria, however, implemented removal abruptly, shifting the fiscal burden directly onto households without protection.
- Failure to Secure Food and Energy Alternatives
Fuel subsidy removal amplified existing weaknesses in agriculture and energy. Instead of sequencing reforms, government left Nigerians without refinery capacity, renewable energy alternatives, or mechanized agricultural productivity—all of which could have cushioned the shock.
Political and Public Concerns
Prominent leaders have echoed these concerns. Mr. Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, described the subsidy removal as “good but wrongly timed.” Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party also faulted the government’s hasty approach. Human rights activists like Obodoekwe Stive stressed that refineries should have been made functional first, to reduce the suffering of citizens.
This is not just political rhetoric—it reflects a widespread economic reality. When inflation climbs above 30%, when purchasing power collapses, and when households cannot meet basic needs, the promise of reform becomes overshadowed by social pain.
Broader Implications
The consequences of this policy are multidimensional:
- Inflationary Pressures – Food inflation above 30% has made nutrition unaffordable for many households.
- Rising Poverty – 7.1 million Nigerians have been newly pushed into poverty (World Bank, 2023).
- Middle-Class Erosion – Rising transport, rent, and healthcare costs are squeezing household incomes.
- Debt Concerns – Despite promises, government borrowing has continued, raising sustainability questions.
- Public Distrust – When government promises savings but citizens feel only pain, trust in leadership erodes.
In effect, subsidy removal without structural readiness has widened inequality and eroded social stability.
Missed Opportunities
Nigeria’s leaders had the chance to approach subsidy removal differently:
- Refinery Rehabilitation – Ensuring local refining to reduce exposure to global oil price shocks.
- Renewable Energy Investment – Diversifying energy through solar, hydro, and wind to reduce reliance on imported petroleum.
- Agricultural Productivity – Mechanization, irrigation, and smallholder financing could have boosted food supply and stabilized prices.
- Social Safety Nets – Conditional cash transfers, food vouchers, and transport subsidies could have protected the most vulnerable.
Instead, reform came abruptly, leaving citizens to absorb all the pain while waiting for theoretical long-term benefits.
Conclusion: Reform With a Human Face
Fuel subsidy removal was inevitable, but Nigeria’s approach has worsened hardship for millions. True reform must go beyond fiscal savings to protect citizens.
Economic policy is not judged only by its efficiency but by its humanity. A well-sequenced reform could have balanced fiscal responsibility with equity, ensuring that ordinary Nigerians were not crushed under the weight of sudden change.
Nigeria has the resources, population, and resilience to lead Africa’s economy. But leadership requires foresight. It requires policies that are inclusive, humane, and strategically sequenced.
Reform without equity is displacement of poverty, not development. If Nigeria truly seeks progress, its policies must wear a human face.
References
- National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). (2023). Poverty and Inequality Report. Abuja.
- National Population Commission (NPC). (2023). Population Estimates. Abuja.
- World Bank. (2023). Nigeria Development Update. Washington, DC.
- World Bank. (2005). Fuel Subsidy Reforms: Lessons from Indonesia and Ghana. Washington, DC.
- OPEC. (2023). Annual Statistical Bulletin. Vienna.
By: Amarachi Amaugo
-
Niger Delta3 days ago
Tompolo’s Visit To Bayelsa Bothers Coalition … As Stakeholders Want Security Checks
-
Oil & Energy3 days agoMonarchs Task FG On Host Communities’ Welfare ………As PINL Targets 2000 Women For Empowerment
-
Opinion3 days agoDon’t Kill Tam David-West
-
Business3 days ago“W’Bank To Invest $14bn In Agric Transformation
-
News3 days agoNECO Opens UK Exam Centre For Nigerians In Diaspora
-
City Crime3 days ago
RSG Ready For 2030 Digital Transformation
-
Opinion3 days agoA Renewing Optimism For Naira
-
Business3 days agoFG Fixes Uniform Prices for Housing Units Nationwide, Approves N12.5m For 3-bedroom Bungalow ……..Says Move To Enhance Affordability, Ensures Fairness