NEDC trains scavengers on waste management, recycling in Yobe
North-East Development Commission (NEDC) said it trained 150 scavengers and trainers on efficient waste management practices and recycling in collaboration with Yobe state government.
Mr. Mohammed Alkali, the Managing Director of the commission disclosed this on Monday in Damaturu at the opening ceremony of the 5-day workshop.
Alkali represented by Assoc. Prof. Ali Abbas, the NEDC Focal Person in Yobe state, said the aim of the programme was to train the participants to be better informed of the best practices of waste management and recycling.
“The participants here are 50 trainers, who are supposed to be the up-takers of the waste and 100 scavengers, who are called garbage collectors. In total we have 150 participants.
“We are going to train them how to do the business in a more hygienic and conducive atmosphere and linked them up directly with the buyers in Lagos, Kano and other places.”, Alkali said
He added that, at the end of the training, value chain processes and participants’ health conditions were expected to improve and their sources of income to increase significantly.
He also explained that the participants were selected from the 17 local government areas of the state in collaboration with Ministry of Environment and other stakeholders.
Speaking at the occasion, Prof Musa Lawan, a consultant with Bluescape Consultant Limited, who anchored the training, said, the programme was meant to add value to the participants’ way of conducting he business.
“The workshop is to add value and show the participants how, at the end, after collecting the waste, can recycle it to a better way.” he said.
Alhaji Sidi Karasuwa, the Yobe state Commissioner for Environment expressed gratitude to Federal Government for creating the NEDC.
Karasuwa represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Tonga Bularafa added that the activities of the commission in the region had minimised chances for the youth to be engaged in ungodly acts.
One of the participants, Mr. Musa Babawuro described the training as good development, saying “This is our way of livelyhood. So it a welcomed development to have this kind of training in order to improve our business.”, he said.
Miss Hafsat Shehu, another participant called on the co-participants to concentrate on the training for maximum benefits.
She added that such opportunity was not always available for them. Therefore, it needed to be utilised.
