LASG tasks waste management education to next level through practical knowledge sharing

The Lagos State Government on Wednesday reaffirmed its commitment to entrenching sustainable waste management practices in schools across Lagos State through practical knowledge to reduce, reuse, recover and properly manage waste.

The commitment was reiterated at the 2026 Environmental Bees Club Handlers’ Symposium, themed “Effective Waste Management Audit for Zero-Waste Schools: Waste Characterisation and Circular Economy.”

Speaking at the symposium, the Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Dr. Gaji Omobolaji emphasised that effective waste management in schools must go beyond maintaining clean surroundings to understanding the nature, quantity and sources of waste generated.

Gaji, represented by the Director Environmental Education Unit, Mrs Monsurat Banire emphasised that effective waste management in schools must go beyond maintaining clean surroundings to understanding the nature, quantity and sources of waste generated.

L-R: Founder, FABE International, Mrs. Temitope Okunnu; Representative of the Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services and Director Education Unit, Office of Environmental Services, Mrs. Monsurat Banire; Founder, Project Save the Planet, Mr. Benjamin Suleiman; Director in the Office of Environmental Services, Mrs. Olaleye Esther and Director Sanitation Services, Office of Environmental Services, Dr. Hassan Sanuth, during the annual Environmental BEES CLUB Handlers Symposium, held on the 7th of October, 2026, at Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry building(LCCI) Nurudeen Olowopopo drive, Ikeja, Lagos State.

He explained that audits and characterisation provide schools with the necessary evidence to identify materials that could be reused, recovered, recycled or appropriately disposed noting that such an approach would help schools develop practical and sustainable waste management systems.

According to him, the Environmental Bees Club has continued to serve as an important platform for inculcating sound environmental practices among students, recalling that teachers were exposed to practical urban, school and home gardening activities in 2024, while the 2025 edition focused on composting, waste-to-wealth initiatives and other productive uses of discarded materials.

The Permanent Secretary also disclosed that over 200 schools participated in the Lagos State Government-UNICEF plastic collection competition, through which Lagos State contributed more than one-third of Nigeria’s plastic recycling target.

He urged Environmental Bees Club handlers to transform waste management into an active learning experience for students by using waste audits to teach observation and data collection, waste characterisation to promote classification and analysis, and reuse and recovery initiatives to develop problem-solving skills.

Gaji stressed the importance of making the concept of circular economy practical and relatable to students, encouraging them to look beyond the disposal of waste and consider the value that could still be recovered from materials after their initial use.

“Our responsibility is not merely to teach students where waste should be disposed of, but to encourage them to ask why the waste was generated in the first place, whether it could have been avoided, and what value can still be recovered from it.” he said.

He further urged the handlers to take the lessons and knowledge acquired at the symposium back to their respective schools and strengthen environmental education through practical activities that would encourage responsible waste management among students.

The Permanent Secretary commended the facilitators and Environmental Bees Club handlers for their commitment to the programme saying that the vision of achieving zero-waste schools could only be realised through sustained practical learning.

He mentioned that such forum is effective in making responsible environmental decisions and habits that students would carry from their schools into their homes and communities.

He expressed confidence that continued collaboration among the government, schools, teachers and students would strengthen Lagos State’s efforts to promote a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable environment.

In his Lecture by the guest lecturer, Ambassador Phillips Obuesi, he emphasized that waste characterization is different from waste auditing, stressing the need for school waste handlers to understand where different categories of waste are generated within their schools.

He explained that proper characterization would enable handlers to identify the sources and types of waste generated at various locations, track waste effectively, and develop appropriate strategies for managing them.

Ambassador Obuesi also highlighted the importance of proper management of hazardous waste in schools, stressing that such waste must be handled carefully and, where necessary, appropriate authorities should be contacted for safe evacuation and disposal.

He advocated for waste separation at source, noting that students must be adequately educated on the different types of waste they generate and how to handle them responsibly.