By David Arome
In a city where waste piles often mirror the pace of urban growth, a new initiative is mobilizing communities to cut methane emissions by tackling an often-overlooked climate culprit, organic waste. On Thursday, March 5, 2026, the Pan African Vision for the Environment (PAVE) convened environmental advocates, government representatives, and community members in Ikorodu to spark a grassroots movement toward sustainable waste management.
The workshop, held at the Ikorodu North Local Council Development Area (LCDA), focused on building a network of zero-waste ambassadors capable of transforming how households handle organic waste. The training forms part of the Multi-solving Action to Methane Reduction in Nigeria (MAMRN) project, a collaborative effort aimed at reducing methane emissions through practical, community-led solutions.
Speaking at the event on behalf of PAVE’s president, Mr Anthony Akpan, Ms Victoria Aghaji, senior programmes manager at PAVE and project officer for the MARN project, emphasized the importance of tackling waste problems at their root.
“Created as a collaborative effort involving multiple stakeholders, MAMRN seeks to address methane emissions from organic waste by implementing community-driven, data-informed zero-waste strategies. This project highlights the crucial role of methane as a short-lived climate pollutant, emphasizing the urgent need to reduce emissions through practical, inclusive, and scalable waste management solutions,” Ms Victoria explained.
The workshop, themed “A One-Day Awareness and Capacity Building Workshop for Households in Ikorodu North LCDA on Organic Waste Management to Reduce Methane Emission”, highlighted waste segregation as a simple but powerful step toward ensuring that valuable materials do not end up in landfills where they release methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
Beyond awareness, the training aimed to empower residents with practical knowledge on sorting organic waste and adopting zero-waste practices within their homes and communities.
The MAMRN project is funded by the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) and the Green Knowledge Foundation (GKF) and brings together a consortium of Nigerian organizations working to drive innovative climate solutions in the waste sector.
Representatives from key environmental institutions lent their voices to the initiative. Delivering a goodwill message, Ms Ogundero Adeola Christiana of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) Zonal Office, Ikorodu I & II, reiterated the agency’s commitment to enforcing environmental protection laws and supporting initiatives that safeguard public health and the environment.
Similarly, Mr Ismail Mutiu, Assistant Director in the Waste-to-Energy Unit of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), underscored the economic potential embedded within the waste value chain.
He noted that strengthening waste management systems can generate employment, support environmental sustainability, and contribute to emission reduction efforts across Lagos State.
Community leaders also welcomed the initiative. Prince Adeniran Ogunbanwo, Chairman of the Community Development Committee (CDC) of Ikorodu North LCDA, expressed strong support for the project and encouraged residents to actively adopt the lessons shared during the training.
Participants at the workshop thanked PAVE for bringing awareness to the LCDA and pledged their commitment in the practical deployment of learnings from the workshop.
The session was facilitated by Mr Philip Jakpor, Executive Director of the Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI), who guided participants through discussions on sustainable waste practices and the broader climate implications of methane emissions from organic waste.
With both in-person and remote participation, the workshop also marked the official launch of the second phase of the MAMRN project, signalling a renewed push to expand community-driven climate solutions.
As Lagos continues to grapple with mounting waste challenges, initiatives like MAMRN are demonstrating that the path to climate action may begin with a simple but powerful step: how households handle their everyday waste.
