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Nigeria, one of Africa’s leading economies, basking in the abundance of natural resources and a teeming populace. The tragedy lies in the rate of unemployment among her citizens. With the increase in unemployment rate in Nigeria to 14.2% in Q4 2016 from 10.4% in Q4 2015, being the highest unemployment rate since 2009, the availability of jobs in Nigeria is a steady decline.

For years, various Nigerian institutions have created programmes to tackle the unemployment crisis. From Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria (YouWin) to the Community Service Women and Youth Empowerment Programme (CSWYEP) under SURE-P, NEEDS 1&11, to the Graduate Internship Programme and many others, however, the challenge remains endemic.

Among the pressing developmental challenges in Nigeria today, is the one of solid waste management. The increasingly intractable problem worsens with the rise of urbanization and high level of consumption. A lack of technology needed to manage waste materials and trust in environmental agencies is one of the reasons for this resistance. The enormous amount of waste in communities and roadsides across Nigeria is enough to add to the immense task of solid waste management.

Private investors, recognizing the economic viability of cities such as Lagos, have actively invested in environmental projects. These investments have proven to be a reliable supporter of the government in addressing the crisis in employment. Globally, there is the confidence that public-private partnerships will help actualize the vision of eradicating poverty and creating 600 million new jobs by 2020 as stipulated in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In Nigeria, public-private partnerships have taken the lead in helping to combat the menace of unemployment. Starting from the roadside mechanic who employs an apprentice, to a welder who makes house gates, the mining and quarrying sector, micro, small and medium scale enterprises and large-scale enterprises including building, construction and waste management companies that ensure a clean and eco-friendly environment.

One of such private sector leaders, creating employment opportunities via waste management, is Visionscape Sanitation Solutions, a subsidiary of the Visionscape Group, an environment utility company that provides integrated waste management services to both residential and commercial individuals. Visionscape, headquartered in Dubai, offers specialized solutions in key diverse areas of solid waste management, polymer compounding, polymer recycling, and flexible packaging globally.

Since the environmental benefits of waste management are more often the focus when ecological issues occur, Visionscape subscribes to the thinking that the economic impact of proper waste management can no longer be ignored. Effective waste management is not only beneficial to the environment, but it also encourages social inclusion through job creation, which is to the ultimate benefit of the citizenry and the economy. Right from the collection to segregation and material recovery, filling the land or recycling, every phase needs human resources, thereby creating a large pool of employment opportunities for people to improve their standard of living and wellbeing.

The environmental benefits of recycling and composting these materials are substantial. Therein lies the potential for Nigeria to use effective waste management as the antidote to reduce the ravaging unemployment crisis to the barest minimum.

Already, Visionscape in line with its CSR and business strategy supports the Cleaner Lagos Initiative in the process of employing 27,500 workers to tackle the environmental malaise. These do not include new jobs created within Visionscape’s local operations in the city. Maintenance engineers, environmental experts, health & safety and thousands of blue collar jobs.

Undoubtedly, the large number of workforce required across all the facets of the waste management chain and the huge multiplier effect on the economy will help to drive down unemployment in Nigeria.

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