Inclusive Waste Governance in Nigeria: Leveraging Informal Waste Workers for a Circular Economy

At this pivotal moment for Nigeria’s sustainable development, effective waste management has become a critical nexus of urban resilience, environmental justice, and socio-economic inclusion. Rapid urbanization has intensified the complexities of handling waste in a manner that safeguards public health, advances environmental sustainability, and unlocks economic opportunities. 

Central to this transformation are Nigeria’s informal waste workers. Though frequently absent from policy frameworks and public recognition, their labour sustains the very foundation of urban recycling and recovery systems. This research, “Inclusive Waste Governance in Nigeria: Leveraging Informal Waste Workers for a Circular Economy,” moves their experiences from the periphery to the centre of the discourse.

Developed through sustained dialogue with waste pickers, regulators, private-sector actors, and community associations in Abuja, the study examines not only the operational systems of waste collection and recycling but also the social, economic, and institutional barriers that shape the realities and prospects of the sector’s most marginalized actors.