Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The Ogun State Government has issued a stern warning to industries operating within its borders, directing them to move beyond mere compliance with environmental regulations and fully embrace circular economy principles or face the full weight of the law. The directive, delivered at a high-level workshop in Abeokuta on Wednesday, signals a decisive shift in the state’s approach to industrial waste management, moving from regulation to value creation.
Governor Dapo Abiodun, represented by the Commissioner for Environment, Dr Ola Oresanya, made the call at the 2026 Annual Industrial Waste Management Workshop organised by the Ogun State Waste Management Authority. The event, held at the Sir Kessington Adebutu Hall, Abeokuta Sports Club, was themed “Beyond Compliance: Embedding Circular Economy Principles and Innovation into Industrial Waste Management in Ogun State”. The theme captured the essence of the government’s message: that the era of simply disposing of waste is over, and the era of recovering value from it has begun.
Ogun State is Nigeria’s foremost industrial hub, home to some of the country’s most significant industrial clusters from Agbara to Sagamu, from Ota to Abeokuta. That status comes with enormous responsibility. Abiodun noted that Nigeria generates over 35 million tonnes of solid waste annually, while Ogun State alone accounts for more than one million tonnes, with industrial waste constituting a significant proportion. The governor was unequivocal that industrial development must proceed hand in hand with environmental responsibility. “Investment and economic growth are welcome, but they must be pursued within the framework of environmental laws and standards that protect public health, communities and the environment,” he said.
The government’s concern is not abstract. Improper waste disposal, open burning and inefficient resource utilisation contribute to environmental degradation and greenhouse gas emissions, while indiscriminate dumping of waste in drainage channels worsens flooding. Oresanya stressed that industrial waste management has become critical to sustainable industrial development, public health protection, resource efficiency and environmental resilience. The government’s position is clear: industries must prioritise waste prevention, segregation, recovery, safe handling and responsible disposal.
The workshop was not merely a forum for admonition. It was also a platform for outlining the concrete measures the state has put in place to support industries in transitioning to a circular economy. The Blue Box Initiative, launched in 2025, is promoting waste segregation at household level, while recycling depots and material recovery operations are expanding across the state’s three senatorial districts. The Plastic for Cash Programme has created opportunities for women, youths and low-income households through incentives for plastic waste recovery. The state has also facilitated the establishment of packaging waste collection and aggregation centres with the support of the Food and Beverage Alliance, a Producer Responsibility Organisation.
Oresanya disclosed that the Ogun State Policy on Climate Change, currently undergoing stakeholder review, would provide a framework for integrating resource efficiency, low-carbon industrial development and circular economy principles into the state’s development planning. He urged every industrial operator to know precisely what waste is generated within their facilities by making industrial waste audits an integral part of environmental management systems. His message was pointed: waste should be segregated at source, hazardous materials must be properly stored and handled, effluent treatment facilities must be maintained, open burning must be avoided, and only accredited waste management operators should be engaged. He also articulated the core philosophy of the circular economy: waste from one industrial process may constitute a valuable input for another, and Ogun State’s industrial clusters provide significant opportunities for industrial symbiosis, resource recovery and the conversion of waste streams into economic value.
The warning to defaulting industries was delivered with equal clarity by the Special Adviser and Managing Director of OGWAMA, Hon. Farouk Adeniyi Akintunde. He warned industries against under-declaring their waste volumes, open burning and indiscriminate dumping, stating categorically that offenders would face sanctions. “A situation where some of the industries under-declare their industrial waste volume and involve in sharp practices such as waste burning, indiscriminate dumping of industrial waste in public spaces and illegal dumpsite operation will not be tolerated,” he said. Such practices, he noted, contravene Section 27 of the OGWAMA Law 2020, and industries found violating the law would not be spared. He disclosed that OGWAMA had refurbished several moribund compactors and acquired new ones to strengthen industrial waste management, while also clearing inherited backlogs of commercial and industrial payments to Private Sector Participation operators.
The Akintunde-led authority has been repositioning industrial waste management in the state over the past three years. The workshop series has evolved from awareness creation and regulatory compliance to synergy, standards and now value creation through circular economy principles. That progression reflects a maturing understanding within government and industry that environmental responsibility is not a burden to be grudgingly borne but an economic opportunity to be seized. Industries facing challenges in managing their waste were urged to engage the authority rather than resort to illegal practices.
The message from Wednesday’s workshop was unambiguous. Ogun State is not merely asking industries to comply with regulations; it is inviting them to join a resource revolution. The state has laid out the framework, the incentives and the enforcement mechanisms. It has demonstrated its own commitment through initiatives like the Blue Box scheme, the Plastic for Cash programme and the expansion of material recovery infrastructure. It has warned that under-declaration, open burning and indiscriminate dumping will attract sanctions under the OGWAMA Law 2020. What remains is for industries to decide whether they will continue to view waste as a problem to be disposed of, or embrace it as a resource to be harnessed. The state government has made its position clear: the era of compliance for compliance’s sake is over. The circular economy is here, and those who fail to adapt will find that the law has teeth.
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