Amarachi Kalu is a private sector development professional with over 6 years’ experience in implementing market system development interventions making markets work for the poor (M4P) approach. He was part of the GEMS4 project as an Intervention Manager where his main task was managing the Waste to Jobs Initiative, which created over 1000 green full time equivalent jobs within an 11 month implementation period. He is currently supporting a low-income community in Lagos to develop and implement a community-based waste aggregation business. He has hands-on experience in market system development (MSD), making markets work for the poor (M4P), Value Chain Development (VCD) and Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) techniques, and he holds a HND in Statistics.
From the International Labour Organization (ILO) to the United Nations (UN), there has been a lot of buzz around creating green jobs and transitioning to green economies lately. Kindly tell us what jobs are green and why we need to transition to green economies?
According to the International Labour Organization, green jobs are decent jobs that contribute to preserve and restore the environment, be they in traditional sectors such as manufacturing and construction, or in new, emerging green sectors such as renewable energy and energy efficiency. The key words here are “any job that contributes to the preservation and restoration of the environment.
Over the years, our actions and inactions have adversely affected the environment, leaving it in a sorry state. Impact of human activities on the environment, which include but are not limited to: decreased water quality, increased pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, depletion of natural resources and contribution to global climate change etc., are reasons for the buzz around green jobs. To tame the tide of environmental disasters waiting to happen and keep our world habitable, we need to transition to green economies.
As Intervention Manager for the GEMS4 project, you were a critical part of the team that created over 1,000 green jobs in Lagos. From your experience, what effects do you think green jobs would have on Nigeria’s labour market in the near future?
First of all, the 1000 green jobs were created across Lagos, Kano, Kaduna and Oyo States. As the intervention manager for the waste management initiative, our focus was on waste recycle, which holds a job-rich potential for creating full-time equivalent jobs. The waste recycling value-chain has huge economic opportunities for different players ranging from collectors, aggregators, recyclers, manufacturers, logistics service providers etc. These opportunities when fully harnessed could create thousands of direct and indirect jobs.
Currently, Nigeria generates an average of 30 million MT of waste annually, and over 28% that are inorganic can be recycled as raw material for production of various households’ items. And so, with an unemployment rate of 18.8% of the working population, the waste recycling sector presents enormous job opportunities for the teeming youth who are unemployed or underemployed.
How has the experience of working with communities in rural areas to build sustainable green businesses been for you?
Although these initiatives are still at an infant stage, the experience has been rewarding seeing a community develop a local solution for a local problem. You are aware of the low rate of waste collection in most urban cities. When compared to rural communities that are plagued with less accessible roads, the conditions of most of these communities are pitiable due to indiscriminate disposal of solid waste. This poses some serious health and environmental consequences from illness, diseases and climate changes to these communities.
We are working with two low-income communities (slums) to turn their waste into wealth, through a community waste aggregation business model. We have developed a business plan, trained on basic waste collection, sorting, storing techniques and community mobilization. We have also linked interested participants to off-takers of different streams of waste, thereby creating access to market.
It is our hope that these initiatives will be nurtured and sustained by participants from both communities, while creating jobs and improving income of the people.
It is evident that there is a lot of potential in Nigeria’s waste recycling sector, what then does it take to start and scale a waste recycling business in Nigeria?
From my experience, it takes a good knowledge of the sector to start and scale a waste recycling business in Nigeria. By good knowledge, I mean a clear understanding of the different streams of waste – those that are recyclables and non-recyclables – the market dynamics (the roles and relationship among different players and their incentives), and even by-products of different streams of waste. This knowledge of the sector will not come easily because of the high level of informality of the waste recycling sector in Nigeria, which has led to key market information dearth.
Besides, there is need for finance, which will depend on what level the individual wants to play, either as a collector, aggregator, recycler or a manufacturer. So, as I mentioned earlier, opportunities abound for all, it all depends on one’s pocket (willingness to invest).
Also, there is need to network with actors as this will afford one access to market for recyclables. For instance, as a waste collector, you cannot collect a recyclable that you do not have a buyer for. The market prices for recyclables are mostly volatile, and so networking keeps you abreast of price changes across different markets and there is need to get the required skill for any role in the value-chain.
It is on record that one of the most pervasive challenges of green jobs is the lack of expertise. Why does it exist and how can it be tackled?
I think in Nigeria, the skill gap exists due to the slow adoption of green economy as the main stream economy by both federal and state governments, despite the enormous opportunities it portends. There is no clear agenda from all levels of government on the way forward with regards to green economy, and this has led to little or no training opportunities. Also, the general populace have little to no awareness about the potential economic opportunities of the green economy. I believe that when people are aware of the economic/environmental benefits, then individual and collective efforts will be geared towards bridging the skill gap.
Lack of skill can be tackled through any or a mix of the following:
- Clear policy thrust on green economy from both state and federal governments
- Targeted awareness creation on the economic/environmental benefits of the green economy on both formal and informal learning institutions.
- Encouraging private sector players to invest in skills development in the green economy
What is your favourite SDG?
SD Goal No. 1: To end poverty in all its forms everywhere.
How do we reach you for questions or comments?
Email: amarachi.kalu@outlook.com