LAGOS UNVEILS USED COOKING OIL COLLECTION KIOSKS, TARGETS $20M BIOFUEL MARKET
Read Time:3 Minute, 0 Second
By Aishat Momoh. O.
The Lagos State Government has unveiled household used cooking oil collection kiosks across the state in a move aimed at strengthening environmental protection, improving public health and advancing climate action, while unlocking a minimum $20 million biofuel market.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources in collaboration with the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), is being implemented in partnership with Ororo Waste Management and supported by the Shell Foundation.
The programme was formally unveiled on Thursday at an event attended by government officials, private sector partners, environmental experts and youth representatives.
Speaking at the event, the General Manager of LASEPA, Dr Babatunde Ajayi, said the initiative was designed to curb pollution linked to improper disposal of used cooking oil while positioning Lagos as a major player in the global biofuel supply chain.
“This initiative is about unlocking a minimum $20 million market in Lagos and putting the state on the global map in the biofuel supply chain,” Ajayi said, noting that used cooking oil is a critical feedstock in the production of biofuel, particularly aviation fuel.
Ajayi explained that Nigeria’s population size and reliance on oil-based cooking make the country one of the world’s leading producers of used cooking oil, with Lagos alone capable of contributing about 50 per cent of the national volume.
He warned that reheating cooking oil multiple times alters its chemical composition and poses health risks, while improper disposal into drains contributes to flooding, road damage and the spread of waterborne diseases.
According to him, although LASEPA began collecting used cooking oil about two years ago, the new initiative introduces a more structured system, with manned collection kiosks established at all LASEPA zonal offices and the agency’s headquarters.
“People can now turn in their used cooking oil and get rewarded. This market excludes nobody. It starts at the household level, and people can earn income from what was previously considered waste,” he said.
Ajayi added that the programme would rely on voluntary compliance rather than enforcement, stressing that attaching economic value to waste would encourage participation.
He also revealed that Lagos is targeting Nigeria’s emergence as the world’s third-largest used cooking oil supply chain, after China and India, within one year.
Also speaking, the Director of Environmental Sustainability at LASEPA, Mrs Dayo Adebayo, described the initiative as inclusive and grassroots-focused, noting that it aligns with the three pillars of sustainability—people, planet and prosperity.
“The programme embraces a circular system where used vegetable oil is recycled and converted into economic value,” she said.
The Managing Director of Ororo Waste Management, Mr Ayo Banjo, said the initiative links environmental sustainability with public health and livelihood creation.
“Improper reuse of cooking oil increases health risks, while poor disposal damages drainage systems and spreads disease,” Banjo said, adding that the expansion to households is critical, as they account for up to 60 per cent of used cooking oil generation.
He noted that the programme would create opportunities for households, waste pickers and youths, who would serve as micro-entrepreneurs within the value chain.
Similarly, the Director of Air Quality Management at LASEPA, Mrs Ayodele Oso, said recycling used cooking oil would help reduce emissions, air pollution and unsafe reuse practices.
She urged households, vendors and small businesses to embrace the initiative, describing it as a forward-looking step towards a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable Lagos.
The state government said youths would play a central role in driving awareness and participation, serving as information ambassadors across communities, markets, restaurants and residential areas.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0