Waste Management Impact Story
Lifeline: Gombe Communities Praises ACReSAL for Waste Management, Health, Job Creation
Located in northeast Nigeria, Gombe state is characterized by a semi-arid landscape with a high level of poverty and low agricultural productivity. Waste generation is one of the major challenges in communities across the state, with inadequate waste management infrastructure leading to pollution, creating health problems, and breeding grounds for pests.
While working to address land degradation and climate change on a multi-dimensional scale across Nigeria, the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL), a World Bank assisted Project set up a Community Interest Group (CIG) to take charge of Waste Management in the project-affected communities.
The Waste Management CIG was part of the catchment management plan of the project. The objective of the group was to support the communities in terms of waste management, sanitation, and provision of livelihood options in the communities.
The ACReSAL Project which is being implemented in Gombe has so far rolled out a series of interventions including the award of over N12 billion contracts to tackle the 21 Km FCE(T)-Railway gully erosion through concrete civil work, bioremediation, and other erosion control initiatives aimed at safeguarding lives and preserving the environment.
While celebrating the successes of project residents and members of the CIG in Wuroladde, London Maidorawa, Jauro Abare, Jauro Kuna, and Arawa communities in Gombe Local Government Area (LGA) of the state, revealed that the project has gone beyond addressing climate change and other objectives of the project into tackling Idleness, poverty among youths as well as health and waste related challenges in the state.
According to Adamu Ahmadu Jauro Kuna, a traditional leader in the Jauro Kuna community, ACReSAL’s intervention initiative through the Waste Management CIG has successfully addressed environmental health-related challenges affecting children in the area.
Speaking in an interview with the ACReSAL Communications Officer on the successes of the CIG initiative, the traditional ruler disclosed that the cases of illnesses related to dirty environments have reduced. He said, “Surely, we had problems with waste which affected us. We hardly eat outside because of the dirty environment. We are happy to get help from the World Bank and ACReSAL which supported the Waste Management CIG. The group has been helping in sanitizing our communities. Before now our children get infected by diseases as a result of the heap of waste in our communities. But, now that has been reduced, thanks to the CIG, the World Bank, and the ACReSAL project as well as the state Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya”.
Also speaking on the successes of the CIG, Asma’u Abdulkadir a resident of the Jauro Kuna community said that with the support of the ACReSAL Project, the prevalence of environmental and health-related issues, such as diarrhea has lessened in the area. The housewife and a mother of five said, “We used to face challenges due to the prevalence of waste that cause air pollution in our community and a lot of other challenges before the intervention of the ACReSAL project. But now the environment is habitable. We appreciate the ACReSAL projects for the support given to us”.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Waste Management CIG at Wuroladde, London Maidorawa, Jauro Abare, Jauro Kuna, and Arawa communities, Saleh Abdullahi, disclosed that apart from addressing the waste-related challenges the intervention has provided employment opportunities for members of the CIG.
While describing ACReSAL’s initiative as massive and life-changing, Abdullahi disclosed that the intervention package includes the provision of technical training and waste management tools. According to him, the situation of individuals selected to be members of the CIG has changed for good. He explained that while keeping the environment clear and clean the members equally generate wealth and income for themselves.
He revealed that the equipment provided by the ACReSAL Project includes Tricycles popularly called ‘Jega’ in Gombe state, Overall Jackets, Face Masks, Hand Gloves, Helmets, Shovels, Rakes, and Wheelbarrows as well as other personal protective materials. He said, “The CIG members are very happy and appreciative of the waste management materials. We select some days in a week to gather and carry out environmental sanitation exercises in our communities by cleaning and tidying up the surroundings. We normally take all the waste to the bypass at Bajoga Road which is a government-designated waste dump site”.
“Until now most of us were idle before getting the tricycles. We are now gainfully employed using the tricycles to fend for ourselves and support our families. There are many in the waste management group with up to 60 members. We take turns making use of tricycles one after the other so everyone in the group can benefit from it,” Abdullahi said.
He further stated that apart from evacuating waste in various communities, the group uses some of the equipment, especially the tricycle for commercial activities. He said, “We use the tricycle for commercial purposes to transport waste and other goods. We make a lot of money from it. We are paid wages every week and savings are made for the larger group. We use the savings to support our members when the need arises. Just like today after the sanitation, we give every member a token as transport fare and incentive for participation in the exercise”.
Also speaking in a separate interview, 28-year-old Ibrahim Usman, a tricycle rider in London Mai Dorawa, Wuro Ladde community, revealed that the initiative has given him a source of income. The former farmer said, “The initiative has been of great help because I can now adequately provide for my family’s needs. The money I get from using the tricycle every week comes in handy to support my family. And even now I am about to start building my own house gradually which is all because of the massive Jega support I get from ACReSAL/World Bank.”
On his on part, Muhammed Alhaji Bello, Secretary Nahuta, Zirin Gaza, London Mai Dorawa, and Jauro Abare community association, said evacuating the waste from the communities does not help in reducing incidents of flooding in the community but provides an organic manure to the local farmers. He said he has benefitted immensely from the waste materials which he takes to his farm. “The waste materials are good organic manure that helps increase the quantity and quality of my crops when I use it on the farm. I get double of what I used to get whenever apply the organic waste on my farm.”
“I take advantage of the tricycle to convey organic waste to my farm with ease. One tricycle takes at least 50 bags of organic waste at a time. Using other commercial vehicles to convey the organic waste can cost me a minimum of N30,000. But as a member of the Waste Management Community Interest Group, it costs me just N3,000 per tricycle to convey the organic waste to my farm. I get N23,000 in savings. That helps a lot.”