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Waste pickers demand formal recognition, integration on World Environment Day
Waste pickers across Lagos State and Nigeria have called for their formal integration into the environmental value chain as part of activities marking the 2026 World Environment Day, themed “Climate Action.”
The call was made by the Association of Scraps and Waste pickers of Lagos State (ASWOL), which said waste pickers play a critical role in advancing climate action through their contributions to recycling and waste management.
In a statement issued on Thursday by the association’s president, Comrade Friday Oku, ASWOL noted that informal waste pickers divert thousands of tonnes of recyclable materials from landfills and drainage systems daily, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote a circular economy.
Despite their contributions, the association lamented that waste pickers continue to face numerous challenges, including health hazards, stigmatization, harassment, lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), and the absence of formal recognition by government authorities.
Oku stressed that meaningful climate action cannot be achieved without acknowledging the role of waste pickers in environmental sustainability.
“True climate action is impossible without the workers who collect waste by hand. We demand formal safety protections, fair pricing, and inclusion in the state’s recycling policies,” he said.
The association further argued that as Lagos State intensifies efforts to enforce bans on single-use plastics, formalising the grassroots workforce responsible for waste collection and recycling has become crucial to achieving a zero-waste future.
ASWOL therefore called on the Federal Ministry of Environment, the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment, and corporate organisations to provide waste pickers with social protection, training opportunities, personal protective equipment, and pathways for integration into the formal economy.
The group maintained that recognising and supporting waste pickers would strengthen Nigeria’s recycling sector and contribute significantly to the country’s climate and sustainability goals.
The statement ended with the association’s slogan: “No Waste Pickers, No Recycling and Circular Economy Sustainability.”