Northern Nigeria’s Recycling Sector at a Crossroads: Kano Workshop Charts Path for Economic and Environmental Transformation
An industry-wide call for formalization, investment, and policy reform emerges from a major regional summit, signaling a potential turning point for waste management and green jobs in the North.
KANO, Nigeria – A concerted push to transform Northern Nigeria’s fragmented recycling sector into a formalized, economically viable, and environmentally sound industry is gaining momentum. The call for urgent reforms was the central theme of the 2025 Amalgamated Northern Regional Workshop organized by the Recyclers Association of Nigeria (RAN), which convened over 150 stakeholders in Kano.
This report is based on the original coverage from Arewa Agenda, which served as the primary source for the event’s proceedings and declarations.
Beyond Waste Collection: Building an Economic Engine
The workshop moved beyond typical environmental discourse, framing recycling as a critical economic opportunity for a region grappling with youth unemployment. In her keynote address, TechnoServe Country Director Ms. Adesuwa Akinboro presented a compelling case, citing the success of the Plastics Recycling Program (PReP) in Southern states. The program’s reported creation of 10,000 jobs and recovery of over 70,000 metric tons of plastic waste served as a tangible blueprint for Northern replication.
“The announcement to establish Kano as the Northern hub for PReP expansion is strategically significant,” notes our analysis. “It positions the ancient commercial city not just as a consumption center, but as a potential leader in the circular economy, leveraging its existing trade networks for material aggregation and processing.”
The Formalization Imperative: From Informal Pickers to Registered Businesses
A recurring theme from participants—which included waste pickers, aggregators, and recyclers from nine states—was the crippling informality of the sector. Challenges like price volatility, transportation delays, and limited access to financing are exacerbated by a lack of business structure and documentation.
The technical sessions on investment readiness and financial literacy, led by academics and industry practitioners, pointed to a clear industry consensus: survival and growth depend on formalization. This shift is seen as essential to attract investment, ensure consistent material quality, and guarantee worker safety and environmental compliance.
A New Social Contract: Government Pledges and the Need for Action
The workshop’s potential impact was amplified by the presence and pledges of government agencies. Dr. Muhammad Khalil of Kano’s Refuse Management and Sanitation Board (REMASAB) committed to policy reforms aimed at formalizing informal recyclers and enforcing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) systems.
“The commitment to EPR is particularly crucial,” our analysis suggests. “It signals a move towards holding manufacturers financially responsible for the end-of-life of their packaging, a policy that could create a stable funding stream for the recycling value chain and incentivize eco-friendly design.”
The Road Ahead: Collaboration as the Cornerstone
The event underscored that no single entity can drive the necessary change. The broad coalition present—from international NGOs like TechnoServe and The Coca-Cola Foundation to local waste picker associations and state environmental bodies—highlights the multi-stakeholder approach required.
The path forward, as charted in Kano, involves simultaneous action on several fronts: advocating for market-stabilizing incentives, enhancing safety standards, expanding successful programs like PReP, and, most importantly, sustaining the communication channels opened at the workshop. The true test will be whether the collaborative spirit fostered in the conference hall can withstand the pressures of the market and translate into concrete, implemented policies and investments.
For Northern Nigeria, the stakes extend beyond cleaner streets. The workshop framed a future where effective waste management directly fuels job creation, youth inclusion, and sustainable economic growth, positioning the recycling sector as an unexpected but vital engine for regional development.
Primary Source: This report was developed using the original article “In Kano, RAN Calls for Urgent Reforms and Stronger Partnerships at 2025 Northern Recycling Workshop” published by Arewa Agenda as its factual basis.