By Benson Daniel
The Yobe State Government and the United Nations Development Programme have partnered to strengthen waste management in the state by transitioning informal waste collectors from manual pushcarts to electric waste collection tricycles.
The initiative is aimed at expanding doorstep waste collection, improving environmental sanitation and creating better livelihood opportunities for informal waste collectors in Damaturu. It is being implemented under a Japan funded UNDP project focused on accelerating the recovery of communities affected by security and humanitarian crises in Northeast Nigeria.
The partnership was highlighted during a consultative stakeholders’ workshop on enhancing waste management capacities in Yobe State, which brought together government officials, development partners, waste management operators, traditional and religious leaders and other stakeholders.
Speaking at the workshop, the UNDP representative, Ismail Bunkar, said the programme would support the expansion of doorstep waste collection services while providing informal collectors with more efficient and sustainable equipment.
Under the proposed earned ownership model, waste collectors will gradually transition from using hand pushed carts to electric tricycles. The approach is expected to improve their ability to cover larger areas, collect more waste and operate under safer and more efficient conditions.
Beyond environmental sanitation, the programme is designed to support economic empowerment. Many informal waste collectors depend on waste collection as a source of livelihood, but their reliance on manual equipment limits their productivity and earning potential.
The introduction of electric tricycles could therefore improve working conditions while helping collectors build more sustainable businesses within the waste management value chain.
The initiative will also include a public awareness and behavioural change campaign aimed at encouraging residents to adopt proper waste disposal practices and participate more effectively in the improved collection system.
Declaring the workshop open, Yobe State Secretary to the Government, Dr Mohammed Goje, emphasised the importance of effective waste management to public health, environmental cleanliness and the overall wellbeing of residents.
Participants at the workshop also reviewed the existing waste management system in Damaturu and examined challenges affecting service delivery.
Findings from an assessment of the Enhanced Integrated Waste Management System in Damaturu were presented by the coordinator of the Yobe Solutions for Internally Displaced Persons and Host Communities project, Alhaji Suleiman Dauda.
The assessment is expected to provide an evidence based foundation for identifying priority areas and guiding future interventions in the state capital.
The collaboration comes as Yobe seeks practical solutions to improve urban sanitation while creating employment and income opportunities for residents.
For the government and its development partners, a stronger waste management system could deliver benefits beyond cleaner communities by supporting job creation, improving public health and encouraging greater participation in the environmental services sector.
The transition to electric waste collection tricycles also aligns with wider efforts to promote cleaner and more sustainable forms of transportation and service delivery.
Stakeholders are expected to continue working together to ensure that the new system is effectively implemented and that waste collectors receive the necessary support and training to operate the equipment.
The Yobe and UNDP partnership is ultimately expected to combine environmental improvement with livelihood development, creating a waste management model that is cleaner, more efficient and economically beneficial to communities in Damaturu.
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