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Visionscape Discloses How Technology Will Redefine Waste ‘Recovery’ In Lagos

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Visionscape, a leading environmental utility group providing turnkey solutions in areas of sanitation, energy and wastewater treatment, has reiterated its commitment towards ridding streets of Lagos of wastes, transforming same to other useful items.

Actually, managing waste in the 21st century requires more than just a conventional approach of collection and disposal of waste, however, Visionscape is undeterred by the existing loopholes in waste management in the Lagos State in the recent past.

To this end, Visionscape commissioned by Lagos State Government to handle its waste matters, has partnered with technology leaders and ready to deploy RFID indent systems, UHF transponders and GPRS sensors in the management of wastes in the State.

The intent, Maimuna Malibe, manager, Environmental Product and Service Development at Visionscape, said, is essentially to ‘recover’ wastes, turning them to other useful ventures for the society.

Speaking to Nigeria CommunicationsWeek during a Cleaner Lagos initiative/Visionscape media workshop, on the sidelines of immediate measures in place to rid the streets of Lagos of waste dumps, she said that the company, through its 60-day intervention, is working assiduously on waste containment and will provide bins to residents, wastes collection, transportation, disposal, treatment and resources recovery.

Immediate Interventions
Malibe said, “The immediate intervention is covered in our 60-day programme to create awareness for Visionscape services and make sure there is no service gap in waste collection in Lagos State. Before we rolled out of compactors doo-to-door collection, we procured tippers that will collect wastes from blackspots, immediate environments and highways where wastes are indiscriminately dumped. For 60 days, which commenced on July 1, 2017, we are going to be collecting wastes. So, members of the public who spot any blackspot in their neighbourhood should reach out to Visionscape and we will clear it. That will proceed the commencement of our operations in September. The charges are at Visionscape’s costs.

“We are going to be involved in waste containment providing bins to residents, wastes collection, transportation, disposal, treatment and resources recovery. Basically, we are looking at the entire waste management chain; to create value out of waste. I like to say waste is not a waste until you waste it. It is always something to do with different materials we produce in our homes and in commercial places. Even a day old baby can produce wastes.

“So, at Visionscape, we are looking at different ways of converting the resources that we collect; it goes beyond collecting from the residence and go bury them at the landfill sites. We have the concession facilities that we have taken over the operations like the three transfer loading stations located in Agege, Oshodi and Tappa. They will provide the stop-gap for our operations. Therefore, we are trying to stop our trucks from traveling very far.

“Imagine the truck that has to travel from Badagry to the landfill in Epe; it doesn’t make any operational sense; in terms of our freight management and cost of operations. Thus, we have taken the concession of the three transfer stations in such that all the contractors- tricycles, pick-up trucks that collect wastes from the residents or communities, are going to dump wastes at the transfer-loading stations closest to that particular community”.

How Technological Will Redefine Waste Management in Lagos State
On technological interventions, she emphasized that Visionscape’s waste logistics set-up takes into considerations all relevant parameters including area population structure (densely or sparsely populated), dominant building structure, waste types and volume; and other geographical parameters for sequenced and optimized routing calculation.

Thus, technology enables to be deployed will assist them in real-time respond to existing and new orders via our automated order management platform which is visually supported and route optimized; utilise Modern GPS supported waste collection and monitoring system; manoeuvre through the hectic road traffic situation by selecting the most efficient and economical route for our complete fleet and view single vehicle and overlay of vehicles track.

According to the Manager, Environmental Product and Service Development at Visionscape, “each transfer stations has the capacity of about of between 1500-2000 tons per day. Lagos produces about 11,000 tons of waste per day. If you look at it, each transfer-loading station has the capacity to take off enough wastes to be collected in a particular shift. What is going to happen is, after dumping at the transfer-loading stations, we are going to be compacting the wastes for bulkers to move the wastes to the landfill sites. Our landfill site is going to be an engineered one with an eco-pack with sorting facilities. They shall be sorted into different components. So, there is a whole lot that goes into VisionScape’s processes, not just waste collection and disposal.

“So, our bins are going to be fitted with infrared and tags. There are going to be code attached to each bin; so we know the bin that is supposed to be in Ikeja, for Ikoyi and other places. If the bin that is supposed to be in Ikoyi miraculously finds itself in Epe, we would be able to tell that is a wrong spot for it.

“Our trucks too will have signals that will be able to open up the bin locations as they drive through the communities as well.

Plans for Recycling
For recycling, She said, “we have to start door-to-door collection, and will open recycling collection points in different wards. As we all know, there are 57 LCDAs in Lagos State and under them are 377 wards. So, what we are doing in recycling is we are taking it back to the grassroots, where waste is being produced. We know that some of the wastes are going to end at the transfer-loading stations and landfill sites, but we are trying to recover the wastes from point of collection. Eventually, we are going to end up with 377 collection points; we would encourage the people to swap plastics, papers and other wastes to receive some incentives”.


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AXA Mansard Empowers Female SMEs with Financial, Digital Skills

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AXA Mansard, a member of AXA has empowered 200 female Small and Medium Enterprises with financial literacy and digital business skills.

In collaboration with SME 100 Africa, the two-day training, which was held in Lagos, is part of AXA’s lined-up programmes to commemorate this year’s International Women’s Day.

Speaking, Olusesan Ogunyooye, Head of Marketing AXA Mansard, said the training was aimed to empower female SME owners with skills to improve business output and position them for the increasing economic opportunities available in an increasingly digital marketplace.

Ogunyooye noted that the move was in line with AXA Mansard’s sustainability agenda, explaining that the company was convinced that support for women through its inclusive protection programmes was pivotal to its purpose of acting for human progress by protecting what matters and its mission of moving from being a payer to a partner.

He further said that focusing on digital skills was important because the company realised the importance of digital skills to the growth of the SME sector in Nigeria and wants to ensure that women were empowered enough to be a consequential part of that growth.

“It’s almost trite to say that SMEs are the engine for economic growth, especially in developing countries like Nigeria, where over 45 million adults are business owners. What needs to be continually discussed is how Nigeria is going to unlock that potential for economic development and how much of that potential will be unlocked by women and for women.”

“For us at AXA Mansard, we are aware that digital will play a major role in unlocking these current opportunities and Nigeria’s economic future. So, to ensure that women are equally represented in unlocking these future potentials, that’s why we have collaborated with SME 100 Africa to support them in developing the required skills”.

“Our choice of digital and financial literacy skills is deliberate. We understand the power of the duo. We understand that helping these SMEs with the skills to attract more customers will be a faster means to empower them.

“We see that they have amazing products and services, but they need to understand how to attract value for themselves by attracting the right customers, and you will agree with me that virtually all customer segments are online in one way or another today.

“So, if we can empower them with digital business skills, we would have helped them with the heavy lifting of trying to find and attract customers”. Ogunyooye explained.

According to him, AXA Mansard believes that for the world to experience progress truly, there must be an equitable distribution of creation and access to opportunities for men and women. This quest for balance informed the SHE for Shield initiative, a women-centred inclusive protection programme of AXA Mansard.

SHE for Shield is a group of initiatives designed for the Nigerian woman. The goal is to see them grow, add value, and help them mitigate risks at every step.

According to the company, research has found that access to health care is one of the most important things to Nigerian women, regardless of their economic segment. They desire to be financially independent, secure, and respected in the community.

 


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IFC Invests in New 4DX Ventures Fund to Support Tech Startups in Africa

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IFC is investing $10.5 million in a new fund by 4DX Ventures, a New York-based venture capital firm focused on supporting early-stage African technology companies across a broad set of sectors, including fintech, e-commerce, edtech, climate tech, and health tech.

IFC’s investment in 4DX Ventures Fund III will come from IFC’s $225 million venture capital platform, which was launched last year to strengthen emerging VC ecosystems and invest in early-stage companies in Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and Pakistan.

Africa is among the regions least served by venture capital, receiving just 2% of global venture deal volume in the third quarter of 2023. Access to capital on the continent has been further exacerbated by a slowdown in global venture capital investment.

Tech ecosystems are nascent, or even nonexistent, outside of more established markets such as Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, and South Africa.

“IFC and 4DX Ventures share the commitment to supporting tech entrepreneurs with innovations that will help Africa leapfrog in critical areas such as climate, health care, fintech, e-commerce, and education,” said Walter Baddoo, Co-Founder and General Partner of 4DX Ventures.

“We look forward to partnering with IFC to help promising tech startups build transformative businesses and realize sustainable development impact on the continent.”

4DX’s new fund will invest in companies with tech solutions that can improve productivity, efficiency and competitiveness across Africa. The firm’s first two funds invested in companies such as Egypt-based e-commerce platform MaxAB, an IFC portfolio company; Ghana-based health tech firm mPharma; and Kenya-based B2B e-commerce platform Wasoko, formerly known as Sokowatch.

“By supporting the development of tech ecosystems in emerging markets, IFC’s venture capital platform aims to improve access to key services, boost business competitiveness, and promote job creation through digital transformation,” said Mohamed Gouled, Vice President of Industries at IFC.

“Our investment in venture funds such as 4DX Ventures will help African entrepreneurs access more financing and resources they need to scale tech innovations and bolster sustainable growth across the continent.

In addition to providing capital, IFC will work with 4DX Ventures to implement their environmental and social management system.


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Climate Action Africa Announces CAAF24

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Climate Action Africa (CAA) has announced the inaugural convening of the Climate Action Africa Forum (CAAF24). This international event brings together stakeholders from across the world who drive thought leadership insights on how to encourage collaboration, catalyse actionable solutions, and urge governments, businesses, and individuals to invest in climate-smart initiatives.

The climate-focused event was announced at last week’s Friday international press conference held at the prestigious Transcorp Hilton Abuja. This marks a significant milestone in Africa’s journey towards a sustainable future. A precursor to the upcoming Climate Action Africa Forum scheduled for June 17-19, 2024, at the Landmark Events Centre in Lagos, Nigeria, this press conference brought together leaders, experts, and stakeholders from across the globe. The gathering’s main goal was to discuss the urgent need for sustainable development plans and climate-smart investments in Africa.

Framed by the theme “Green Economies, Brighter Futures: Innovating and Investing in Africa’s Climate-Smart Development,” the international press conference became a vibrant platform for insightful discussions, strategic collaborations, and impactful engagements. It convened an esteemed gathering of leaders, experts, and stakeholders to explore solutions for Africa’s pressing environmental challenges.

The event kicked off with a welcome address by the Executive Director and Co-founder of Climate Action Africa, Grace Mbah, who having announced the commencement of event registration as April 2nd, 2024, made the call for tech-driven solutions and innovations in the fields of emissions reduction, transportation, agriculture, energy, circularity and building and construction to apply to participate in the deal room.

Providing insights to attendees on how innovative approaches and collaborative action is at the heart of CAAF24, she extended an opportunity to like minded organisations who would like to partner by hosting side events and finally, a call for volunteers from across the continent.

“It’s no news that the world stands at a critical juncture, where decisive action is imperative to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change. Against this backdrop, CAAF24 serves as a pivotal platform for key stakeholders to engage in meaningful discourse, and forge collaborative pathways towards a greener, more sustainable future.

The essence of CAAF lies in its commitment to shaping a climate-resilient Africa through co-creation, innovation, and sustainable investment. Through this initiative, we aim to catalyse solutions that enhance the sustainability and prosperity of the continent’s natural resources, people, and economies,” Grace stated.

During the International Press Conference, distinguished speakers and thought leaders emphasised the urgent need for collective action in tackling Africa’s climate challenges.

They delved into critical topics like renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, biodiversity conservation, and climate finance, offering practical insights and inspiring initiatives.

Jummai Vandu, representing the National Council on Climate Change, expressed optimism about the initiative’s outcomes. “Today’s discussions,” she said, “underscore the urgency of our collective efforts to combat climate change. The National Council believes working together is key to driving meaningful action and creating a more sustainable future for Africa and beyond.”

With the International Press Conference complete, the stage is set for CAAF24. Stakeholders will converge to translate ideas into action, forge partnerships, and drive progress towards a climate-smart Africa.

Mrs. Taiwo Fashipe, Head of Media for the Presidential CNG Initiative (P-CNGi), echoed similar sentiments, stating: “The theme of this year’s Climate Action Africa Forum aligns with our goals, vision, and mission at the Presidential CNG Initiative.

“We look forward to using this platform to advance interest in and investment in greener and cleaner energy sources like CNG.”

Standing at a crucial juncture in Africa’s quest for sustainable development, CAAF24, convened by Climate Action Africa in partnership with the National Council on Climate Change, Channels Media Group, and Founder Institute, emerges as a beacon.

It brings together the private and public sectors, guiding the continent towards a future marked by resilience, prosperity, and environmental stewardship.

 


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