Firm wants FG to create enabling environment for e-waste management

A waste management company in Nigeria, “The Initiates Plc” (TIP) has called on the Federal Government (FG), to create conducive environment that would raid the environment of refuse for healthy living.

The company also canvasses the need for the government to relinquish the business of waste management to the private sector for effective and positive result.

The chairman Board of Directors of the Company, Joe Annosikeh made the call at this year’s annual general meeting of the company in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital on Saturday.

Annosikeh said the need for effective laws for e-waste management by way of granting of tax incentives and waivers on customs duties for importation of sophisticated equipment for the job cannot be over-emphasized for the business to thrive in the country.

He expressed regrets over the poor development of effective waste management, especially e-waste management to in  the country attributing it to lack of enabling laws and incentives to encourage private sector participation.

He said, “The issue of waste management should not be government affair because it can not manage it properly, government should leave it for the private sector to manage but create the enabling environment and that’s only when you will see results but unfortunately, the federal government has not done so.”

TIP is the only waste management company listed on the Alternative Securities Market Board of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), and manages both domestic and industrial wastes across the Niger Delta region.

Speaking on their motivations in the line of business said,   “We looked at the environment, we realised that if nothing is done, we can no longer have a good health, lives of the people will be more endangered, if you look at the environment, you see contamination, filths, dirt all over the place. You see used computers dumped everywhere; these are hazardous to human lives, so we felt time has come for us to continue to provide good and clean environment for our people.” he said. - The Nation