The Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP) and the United Nations Development Programme Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (UNDP GEF-SGP) have urged communities in Nasarawa State to sustain and scale up waste-to-wealth initiatives introduced under the #BioWaste4Resilience project.
The call was made on Thursday at a Knowledge Management Workshop organised by GIFSEP in Karu Local Government Area to mark the completion of the project.
The workshop attracted the National Coordinator of the UNDP GEF Small Grants Programme, Dr. Ibironke Olubamise; representatives of the Nasarawa State Government; officials of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources; the Director-General of the Nasarawa State Waste Management and Sanitation Agency (NASWAMSA); community leaders, partner organisations, members of the Agwan Doka 2 Women Cooperative and other stakeholders.
Beyond marking the completion of the initiative, GIFSEP used the workshop to highlight a major policy outcome of the project: the development of the Nasarawa State Integrated Waste Management Policy 2026.
The organisation described the policy as the first integrated waste management policy developed by the state since its creation 29 years ago, saying it demonstrated how community-level environmental interventions could influence public policy and broader environmental systems.
GIFSEP Executive Director, Dr. Michael Terungwa David, said the policy, developed in collaboration with the Nasarawa State Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, provides a framework for improved waste collection, segregation, recycling, resource recovery and safe disposal across the state.
He said the policy was also designed to promote a circular economy, cleaner communities, improved public health, job creation and expanded waste-to-wealth opportunities.
David said the Knowledge Management Workshop was not merely a ceremony to close the project but an opportunity to document its achievements and lessons while exploring ways to replicate the interventions in other communities.
He explained that the #BioWaste4Resilience project was anchored on the principle that waste, when properly managed, could become an economic resource rather than an environmental burden.
“Waste is not necessarily the problem. Poorly managed waste is the problem. When properly managed, waste can become an opportunity for economic empowerment and environmental protection,” he said.
According to David, the project demonstrated how organic and other forms of biowaste could be converted into useful products and livelihood opportunities, with beneficiaries trained and supported to produce nutrient-rich compost and liquid fertiliser.
He added that the initiative also demonstrated the economic value of discarded coconut shells by transforming them into reusable and attractive household and other useful products.
The GIFSEP chief said the interventions underscored the link between effective waste management, environmental protection, livelihood development, climate resilience and the circular economy.
He particularly commended members of the Agwan Doka 2 Women Cooperative, saying they had evolved from project beneficiaries into active participants in converting environmental challenges into economic opportunities.
David said their experience demonstrated the potential of women to drive community-based environmental solutions when provided with appropriate knowledge, skills and institutional support.
He expressed appreciation to the UNDP GEF Small Grants Programme for supporting the initiative and recognising the capacity of local organisations and communities to develop practical responses to environmental challenges.
He also commended Olubamise for her leadership and support, while acknowledging the partnership and ownership demonstrated by the Nasarawa State Government, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and NASWAMSA.
In her remarks, Olubamise said the UNDP GEF Small Grants Programme was established to support pilot initiatives that demonstrate to communities that practical and innovative solutions to environmental challenges are achievable.
She said beneficiaries receive resources and technical support to test innovative solutions, after which communities are expected to take ownership and expand the interventions.
Olubamise urged beneficiaries of the #BioWaste4Resilience project to take full ownership of the initiative and ensure that its benefits continue long after the formal completion of the project.
She stressed that sustainability would depend largely on the commitment of the community, adding that the level of ownership demonstrated could determine its ability to attract additional support and opportunities in the future.
The UNDP GEF-SGP coordinator cited similar projects supported by the programme in Abuja and other parts of Nigeria, noting that some communities initially failed to recognise the value of materials they regarded as waste but eventually discovered opportunities to create products, income and livelihoods from them.
She urged Nasarawa beneficiaries to maximise the opportunities created by the project, stressing that the initiative could achieve significantly greater impact if communities continued to improve, expand and commercialise the solutions.
Olubamise also cautioned against allowing the benefits of the project to remain concentrated among a few individuals, calling for broader participation, transparency and collective ownership.
Closing the workshop, David said completion of the #BioWaste4Resilience project should be regarded as the beginning of a new phase rather than its end.
He said the knowledge generated, compost produced, women empowered, coconut shells transformed and waste management policy developed should serve as building blocks for cleaner communities, resilient livelihoods and a healthier environment.
David urged stakeholders to continue converting waste into wealth and environmental challenges into economic opportunities, saying the project had demonstrated how community-level action could drive environmental sustainability, economic empowerment and policy development in Nasarawa State and beyond.
