*Two-year €753,000 programme diverts 145 tonnes of plastic from landfills, empowers over 1,500 students reports BluerAfrica
Michael Olugbode in Abuja
Nigeria’s campaign against plastic pollution has received a major boost as a two-year, €753,000 (about ₦1.3 billion) partnership between the Embassy of France in Nigeria and 13 Nigerian universities has demonstrated that plastic waste can be transformed into a thriving circular economy capable of generating nearly ₦950 million annually.
The landmark initiative, which officially ended on June 30th in Abuja, has not only converted university campuses into centres for recycling, innovation and green entrepreneurship but has also produced compelling evidence that higher education institutions can become key drivers of Nigeria’s environmental and economic transformation.
An independent evaluation presented at the closeout ceremony by the External Evaluators BluerAfrica-Africa Blue and Coastal Community Development Initiative described the project as one of the country’s most significant university-led circular economy projects, while warning that stronger institutional systems would be required to sustain and expand the gains recorded over the past years. Presenting the independent evaluation, Executive Director of BluerAfrica, Priscilla Ibadin, applauded the programme for proving that Nigerian universities possess the technical capacity to lead practical environmental solutions.
