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Environmental Projects: Nigeria Gets $23.3m Allocation From GEF

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11 years ago

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Deputy Governor of Bauchi State, Mr Nuhu Gidado inspecting nysc 2015 parade during their closing ceremony at nysc permanent orientation camp in Mangu Iga of Plateau State last Monday. Photo: NAN

Deputy Governor of Bauchi State, Mr Nuhu Gidado inspecting nysc 2015 parade during their closing ceremony at nysc permanent orientation camp in Mangu Iga of Plateau State last Monday. Photo: NAN

The Global Environment
Facility (GEF), the largest sponsor of environmental initiatives, has allocated 23.35million US dollars to Nigeria to implement climate change, biodiversity and land degradation projects.
Mr Festus Eguaoje, GEF’s Desk Officer in the Federal Ministry of Environment, made this known at a two-day National Steering Committee Meeting in Abuja.
Eguaoje, who presented an Overview of the GEF projects in Nigeria, said the allocation was under the 6th replenishment circle, covering July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2018.
According to him, the allocation is under the System for Transparent Allocation of Resources (STAR), which allows GEF to allocate funds to countries to implement projects in specific focal areas.
The meeting was to review the progress of GEF’s activities in Nigeria and to update stakeholders on the ongoing projects.
The official said Nigeria had achieved tremendous success in implementing GEF projects, adding that a lot of projects were still ongoing under GEF 4th and 5th replenishment cycles.
He listed the ongoing GEF projects to include Conservation and Sustainable Management of Niger Delta Biodiversity; Sustainable Urban Transportation; and Setting up Mini- Grids based on Photo Voltaic (PV), Hydro and Biomass Sources.
Others are Promoting Energy Efficiency in Public and Residential Sectors; Less Burnt for a Clean Earth: Minimisation of Dioxin Emission from Open Burning Sources and Small Grant Programme for Civil Society Organisations.
On Fadama III, he mentioned Scaling up of Sustainable Land Management; Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) containing equipment management and disposal; and Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management (NEWMAP): Component of Great Green Wall Initiative.
Also listed were Lake Chad Regional and Natural Resources Conservation and Regional Project on Equatorial Africa Deposition Network.
He said that GEF had approved Fostering Sustainability and Resilience for Food Security in Sub- Saharan African- An Integrated Approach (IAP-PROGRAM) under the 6th replenishment cycle.
He said that GEF had three funding windows, namely the full size, the medium size and the small grants.
According to him, small grants component of GEF is a grant below 50,000 dollars, medium size is between 500,000 and two million dollars, while the full size is from two million dollars and above.
Eguaoje , also an Assistant Director in the Federal Ministry of Environment, said Nigeria could benefit more from GEF by building the capacity of its staff.
In addition, he suggested that project proponents should forward well-articulated concept to the GEF Operational Focal Point for Endorsement.
“The project proponent, in collaboration with the operational focal point, should ensure that prompt comments on the proposals are made by relevant offices of the GEF focal areas.
“The comments should be reverted to the project proponent for incorporation and further development.
“Project proponents should also explore the opportunity offered through the Implementing Agencies’’, he added.
The implementing agencies for GEF projects, he said, were UNDP, World Bank, FAO, UNIDO, ADB, UNEP and IFAD, among others.

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Lagos State  Government Refuted Resumed Monthly Sanitation 

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6 days ago

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March 2, 2026

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The Lagos State Government on Saturday refuted an online media report claiming that the state had resumed the monthly environmental sanitation exercise.
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, said no categorical statement had been made regarding the commencement date of the exercise.
Wahab explained that what he told newsmen after a project inspection tour last Sunday was that engagements with relevant stakeholders were still ongoing.
He said the state government had planned to begin with a sensitisation programme last week, but was constrained by logistics issues.
“The truth is, we were meant to start with a sensitisation programme last week, but we had a logistics issue. We need to find a day that is acceptable to all stakeholders,” he said.
He expressed optimism that the exercise might return very soon, adding that the official date would be communicated by the Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The commissioner urged law-abiding residents to continue their lawful activities without hindrance, assuring them that adequate notice would be given before the exercise was reintroduced.
The monthly environmental sanitation, previously held on the last Saturday of every month between 7.00 a.m. and 10.00 a.m., was suspended in November 2016 following a legal pronouncement restricting movement during the exercise.
However, renewed waste management challenges, including clogged drainage channels and indiscriminate refuse disposal, have sparked calls from residents for its reinstatement.
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LAWMA Director Says Sweeping Reforms Have Improved Waste Collection 

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6 days ago

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March 2, 2026

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The Managing Director of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, says sweeping reforms and infrastructure upgrades have significantly improved waste collection efficiency across the state.
Gbadegesin disclosed this to newdmen last week in Lagos state.
He said LAWMA expanded night cleaning operations and increased street sweeping coverage to 1,000 routes statewide.
He disclosed that 16,000 street sweepers were currently engaged across Lagos, supported by improved logistics and operational systems.
He said LAWMA acquired new equipment three years ago to complement Private Sector Participants (PSP) compactors and rehabilitated old trucks to strengthen fleet capacity.
He added that additional compactor trucks were expected in the coming months.
“Heavy-duty equipment is now deployed to clear legacy illegal dumpsites across communities,” he said.
Gbadegesin said LAWMA strengthened human capacity by expanding its advocacy department and deepening collaboration with Community Development Associations (CDAs) and local councils.
He revealed that each local government now operates a waste management task force, supported by LAWMA integration desks.
On waste-to-wealth initiatives, he disclosed that the Lagos State House of Assembly had ratified a concession agreement with ZoomLion to construct transfer loading stations and material recovery facilities.
The facilities, he said, would enable closure of the Olusosun and Solous landfills and process 4,000 tonnes of waste daily.
He said organic waste, which constitutes about 50 per cent of Lagos waste, would be converted into compost, while plastics would be recycled into waste bins.
Gbadegesin also disclosed plans for a 1,500-tonnes-per-day waste-to-energy plant in partnership with a Dutch firm, Harvest Waste.
He said the project was expected to generate 60 megawatts of electricity to support emerging industrial zones.
He further highlighted a pilot biogas plant at the Epe Food Market, which processes 500kg of organic waste daily to generate electricity for market operations.
He called for stronger media collaboration to enhance public awareness and behavioral change.
“Waste management is not just about equipment; it is about human behaviour, enforcement and strong regulatory systems,” he said.
He urged residents to utilise LAWMA’s toll-free lines and digital platforms to report service gaps instead of resorting to illegal dumping.
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Ministry Of Environment To Validate A Landmark Policy To Advance Nigeria’s Economy 

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6 days ago

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March 2, 2026

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The Federal Ministry of Environment last Thursday convened key stakeholders in Abuja to validate a landmark policy brief aimed at tackling marine litter to advance Nigeria’s transition to a circular economy.
Mrs Falmata Bukar-Kolo, the Deputy Director, Solid Waste Management and Technology Division in the ministry, warned that plastic pollution poses serious risks to aquatic ecosystems and public health.
She stated that microplastics have already entered the food chain through fish consumption, while clogged waterways, soil contamination, and greenhouse gas emissions from burning plastics are worsening the environmental crisis.
Bukar-Kolo said that plastics, though widely used, are non-biodegradable and persist in the environment for years.
She called for improved waste management systems, stronger enforcement of environmental regulations, and behavioural change amongst citizens and businesses.
Mr Clem Ugorji, Regional Coordinator of PROTEGO, emphasised on the urgency of action, saying Nigeria’s marine litter crisis carries environmental, economic, and reputational costs.
He expressed optimism that the 2025 to 2040 roadmap endorsed at the workshop would shift the country from prolonged dialogue to concrete implementation.
The  event was organised in collaboration with PROTEGO (Prevention of Marine Litter in the Gulf of Guinea).
Discussions centred on a draft policy input paper titled “Policies, Institutional Set-up and Financing of Marine Litter Prevention in Nigeria,”.
These seeks to present insightful analysis and a set of recommendations to address the structural and financing gaps that have long hindered effective waste management, particularly plastic leakage from inland communities and waterways into the Atlantic Ocean.
The PROTEGO initiative is supported by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection and led by adelphi, with implementation in Nigeria by WASTE Africa and the Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre (NCIC).
The policy brief is a key delivery for one of the programme’s four impact areas – building capacities of public stakeholders.
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