Education
Engineers advocate circular economy shift to tackle climate change, create jobs – EnviroNews
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Environmental engineering experts have called for Nigeria to shift from the traditional “take-make-dispose” economic model to a circular economy to tackle climate change, reduce waste and create jobs.
The experts made the call at the 9th memorial public lecture of late Samuel Fadahunsi, organised by the Nigerian Institution of Environmental Engineers (NIEE) on Sunday, August 23, 2026, in Benin City, Edo State.
The lecture, themed, “Engineering Climate Resilience and Circular Economy Solutions for Sustainable Development in Nigeria”, brought together environmental engineers, academics and other stakeholders.
In his lecture, the guest lecturer, Prof. Jacob Ehiorobo, called for a massive investment in waste recycling facilities, including factories.
According to him, Nigeria can unlock significant economic opportunities by treating waste as a resource.
Ehiorobo said that research had projected Nigeria’s waste recycling market to reach N100 billion by 2030, and could create more than 250,000 jobs within the period.
He also said that available statistics showed that Nigeria generated more than 32 million tonnes of solid waste annually, with food waste and plastics accounting for a significant proportion.
According to him, a circular economy promotes the reuse and recycling of materials rather than disposing of them after use, while climate action involves measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address global warming.
Ehiorobo therefore said that adopting circular economy principles could strengthen economic resilience by creating industries and employment opportunities in recycling, repair, remanufacturing and sustainable agriculture.
“Adopting circular economy principles can spur innovation, as well as encourage the development of technologies that extend the life cycle of products and materials,” he said.
He added that investment in sustainable building materials and energy-efficient technologies could reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported goods while supporting local production and innovation.
The don further identified digital platforms linking consumers with repair and resale service providers as opportunities for promoting sustainable consumption and circular economy innovation.
“The circular economy will help in addressing key challenges like resource depletion, waste management, and economic resilience, unlike the traditional linear economy (take-make-dispose),” he said.
He emphasised that Nigeria needed strong policy frameworks and institutional support to fully benefit from the circular economy.
He called for policies that incentivised recycling, waste management and sustainable resource use, as well as partnerships among international organisations, private sector actors and local governments.
“In order to develop an effective circular economy and climate action for sustainable development in Nigeria, there is the need for collaboration among the different agencies involved in climate action and mitigation in effective disaster risk response and reduction for the country,” he said.
In his keynote address, Prof. Emmanuel Akpaja of the Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Benin, highlighted mushrooms as a potential source of health and economic benefits.
The keynote address was titled, “Valorisation of Mushrooms in Environmental Engineering: Advancing Circular Economy, Climate Action and Sustainable Development in Nigeria”.
In his remarks, the President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Mr. Alimasuya Rabiu, commended the organisers for sustaining the annual memorial lecture.
Rabiu was represented by Mr. Chukudi Akpoto, pioneer Chairman, NSE, Oredo Local Government Branch of Edo.
In the same vein, the National Chairman of NIEE, Mr. Caius Umekesiobi, described the late Fadahunsi as a visionary and builder who believed engineering should serve humanity and protect the environment.
Umekesiobi described the theme of the lecture as timely, saying the circular economy offered a pathway for turning waste into wealth, reducing pollution, keeping products in use and regenerating natural systems.
Speaking on behalf of the Fadahunsi family, Dr. Folake Olumogba, thanked the NIEE for sustaining the annual lecture in memory of their late father.
The event was organised to honour the memory of late Samuel Fadahunsi, while promoting professional and public discourse on environmental engineering, climate resilience and sustainable development.
By Usman Aliyu
