Understanding Lagos State Waste Management Issues

This is a part 2 of all things Lagos.

Lagos faces a waste management crisis, with overflowing landfills and untreated waste posing health hazards. The recent ban on single-use plastics by the Lagos state government has sparked debate on its effectiveness. Guests Wale, Tolagbe, and Fikayo discuss their experiences and perspectives on waste management in Lagos. They highlight the need for value creation from waste, the challenges of implementing waste management policies, and the importance of considering the cultural and socioeconomic context. They also highlight the need for private sector involvement and the creation of a clear framework for waste management initiatives.

Olawale Adebiyi is the CEO of Wecyclers Corporation which he co-founded with his sister, Bilikiss Adebiyi Abiola. Olawale spent his early years in Nigeria where he graduated from Kings College Secondary School Lagos, and then moved to the United States to pursue his tertiary degrees. Mr. Adebiyi holds an MBA from Indiana University, Kelly School of Business, and holds both a BEng and MEng in Chemical Engineering from Florida Institute of Technology. While pursuing his Master's degree in Chemical Engineering, he was able to work on groundbreaking research on Hydrogen Production utilizing solar energy and co-authored several patents and publications in the renewable energy field. He’s led billions of dollars worth of initiatives while he f worked at Nucor Steel the largest steel maker in the United States. When he’s not changing the world through recycling he runs Nigeria’s leading Cross-Fit gym in Lagos.

Fikayo Akeredolu is a DPhil Candidate at the University of Oxford and a researcher at the African Climate Foundation. Her research focuses on African agency and perception in the Sino-African political and economic relationship. She also has a Master's in Contemporary Chinese Studies from the University of Oxford and a Master's in Global Affairs from Tsinghua University in China. Before that, she worked as a Financial Products and Technology Growth expert in the Middle East, Europe, China and Africa. She also worked at Bloomberg,Stears and Refinitiv (Now The London Stock Exchange Group). She also founded the Growth Network, a community of intelligent and like-minded people who want to understand how to survive and grow in the Nigerian business landscape.

Tolagbe Martins is a strategy and communications expert. She graduated from the London School of Economics (LSE) with a Masters in Organisational Social Psychology and a BSc in Psychology & Philosophy.

She leads a multi-disciplinary team supportingSMEs and government agencies in achieving their business objectives. She has expertise in public private partnerships having worked on environment, technology, healthcare, and emergency services projects in this area for Lagos state. Alongside her professional passions, she also works as an Business English coach for aspiring business leaders to allow them “communicate with clarity”. She serves as an adviser to the Growing Businesses Foundation- a non-profit company supporting women. She also runs a women’s peer mentoring group Soconnected and is part of a thriving ecosystem of women in fashion, finance, farming, tech and many more industries. This has led to speaking engagements with brands such as the Lagos Fashion & Design Week, Glam Agency and Mac Cosmetics. In 2023, she launched Africurate – advising MSMEs on business development and market penetration through collaboration and diversification.

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