The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) have intensified its push for a circular economy. Environmental experts and industry stakeholders have urged Nigeria to transition urgently to clean energy and phase down fossil-fuel reliance.
At the “Circular Economy and Green Financing for Nigeria’s Sustainable Development” symposium at the University of Ibadan, participants discussed closed-loop industrial systems, decarbonization, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), green financing, pre-shipment environmental compliance, and digital tools for waste tracking and industrial reporting. They also examined risk-based environmental optimization, carbon-reduction strategies, spatial technologies for circularity, and regulatory frameworks for sustainable industrial practice.
Speakers stressed abandoning the linear “cradle-to-grave” model in favour of a regenerative system that treats waste as a resource. Olufemi John Fadare of NESREA Southwest said facilities must fully adopt circular principles and noted that EPR is now mandatory in Nigeria’s waste-management regime. Prof. Taiwo Adewale of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, urged aggressive decarbonization, warning that continued fossil-fuel dependence worsens environmental degradation (raising temperatures, flooding, food insecurity, and ecological imbalance) and called for wider adoption of renewables (notably solar), reduced deforestation, and improved electricity supply to limit generator use.
Dr. Valentine Opone of ACAP Global Services described the program as a capacity-building initiative to produce trainers who will enforce environmental standards and promote green innovations (such as renewable energy integration and climate-friendly building materials) across sectors. The symposium highlighted the role of green financing, environmental data systems, and spatial technologies in accelerating Nigeria’s shift to a circular, low-carbon economy consistent with its international obligations.
