African Nations Collaborate on Waste Management Solutions

The Final Regional Closing Workshop on waste management took place in Abuja, Nigeria, where representatives from Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau, and Sierra Leone gathered to review findings from a project funded by the United Nations Development Account (UNDA) and led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The workshop, hosted by the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), followed pilot programs initiated in November 2025.

Professor Innocent Barikor, the Director-General of NESREA, emphasized the project's significance in addressing Africa's waste management challenges and highlighted the need for legislative and institutional frameworks to support informal waste workers. Mrs Yeama-Mimi Sobba-Stephens, Deputy Minister of Environment for Sierra Leone, acknowledged the project's relevance amid urbanization pressures in her country and stressed the importance of a comprehensive legal framework for waste management.

The workshop aimed to develop practical pathways for implementing the project's recommendations and ensuring long-term sustainability.