The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has intensified its advocacy for a circular economy model as environmental experts and industry stakeholders called for an urgent transition to clean energy and a phased reduction of fossil fuel dependence in Nigeria.
This was the focus of an environmental symposium themed “Circular Economy and Green Financing for Nigeria’s Sustainable Development”, held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan [UI], Oyo State.
The symposium featured technical sessions on closed-loop industrial systems, decarbonisation, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), green financing, pre-shipment environmental compliance, and emerging digital tools for waste tracking and industrial reporting.
Participants also examined risk-based environmental optimisation, carbon reduction strategies, spatial technology for circularity, and regulatory compliance frameworks guiding sustainable industrial practices in Nigeria.
Experts at the event stressed the urgent need for industries to move away from the traditional linear economic model, described as “cradle to grave”, towards a circular system where waste is reused as raw material in a regenerative cycle.
According to Mr. Olufemi John Fadare of NESREA Southwest, facilities must now fully comply with circular economy principles, noting that waste should no longer be treated as an end product but as a resource.
Fadare explained that Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) has become a mandatory framework in Nigeria’s waste management sector, requiring all producers to take responsibility for the entire life-cycle of their products.
“The circular economy is the direction industries must embrace. We are moving from linear to a circular economy, where waste becomes another person’s raw material,” he said.
In his presentation, Prof. Taiwo Adewale of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, emphasised the need for aggressive decarbonisation efforts as part of Nigeria’s response to climate change.
He warned that continued reliance on fossil fuels has intensified environmental degradation, contributing to rising temperatures, flooding, food insecurity, and ecological imbalance.
“The environment has gone beyond its threshold of resilience. We must reduce carbon emissions and embrace alternative energy,” he said.
Adewale urged the government and citizens to adopt renewable energy sources such as solar power while discouraging activities that accelerate deforestation and carbon emissions.
He also called for improved electricity supply to reduce dependence on fuel-powered generators, adding that sustainable energy adoption would enhance long-term development outcomes.
Speaking on the objectives of the programme, Dr. Valentine Opone of ACAP Global Services Nigeria Limited said the initiative is designed as a capacity-building platform for environmental sustainability practitioners across sectors.
Opone noted that Nigeria’s participation in international environmental agreements, including the Kyoto Protocol and Basel Convention, places additional responsibility on regulatory institutions such as NESREA to ensure compliance.
He added that the training is structured to produce “trainers of trainers” who will return to their organisations to enforce environmental standards and promote sustainable industrial practices.
Opone stressed the need for engineers and industry stakeholders to adopt green innovations in construction, energy use, and industrial design, including the integration of renewable energy systems and climate-friendly building materials.
The symposium also examined the role of green financing, environmental data systems, and spatial technologies in strengthening Nigeria’s circular economy transition.
Sessions highlighted the importance of Extended Producer Responsibility compliance, industrial emissions monitoring, sustainable supply chain management, and government policy incentives for green industrial transformation.
Stakeholders at the symposium reiterated that Nigeria’s environmental sustainability agenda depends on coordinated action between regulators, industry players, and citizens.
The stakeholders called for stronger commitment to clean energy adoption, reduced fossil fuel dependency, and full implementation of circular economy principles as essential pathways to sustainable national development.
They warned that failure to accelerate Nigeria’s clean energy transition could deepen environmental degradation, economic vulnerability and climate-related disasters across the country.
