Lagos Launches Cooking Oil Recycling Scheme to Cut Pollution, Create Jobs
Oluwafunbi Bello 
LAGOS, Nigeria – Lagos State launches a pioneering used cooking oil recycling programme aimed at reducing environmental pollution while creating new income opportunities for residents.
The initiative, unveiled on Thursday by the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) in collaboration with Ororo Waste Management and Shell Foundation, targets the widespread disposal of used cooking oil into drains, soil and waterways.
LASEPA General Manager, Dr Babatunde Ajayi, says improper disposal blocks drainage channels, worsens flooding and contaminates underground water sources.
“Spent cooking oil is often poured into sewage systems or burnt,” Ajayi explains. “This damages infrastructure, pollutes water and degrades air quality.”
Under the programme, collected oil will be processed into biofuel and other sustainable products, supporting climate action while reducing government spending on infrastructure repairs.
Ajayi notes that Lagos accounts for nearly half of Nigeria’s total used cooking oil waste, driven by its population size and commercial activity.
Managing Director of Ororo Waste Management, Mr Ayo Banjo, says residential households generate nearly two-thirds of discarded cooking oil, making community participation essential.
“This scheme unlocks earning potential, creates jobs and strengthens the circular economy,” Banjo says.
The project introduces over 100 collection points at LASEPA zonal offices across the state, ensuring easy access for households and businesses.
Lagos State Coordinator of the Waste Pickers Association of Nigeria, Mr Franklyn Adebisi, describes the initiative as “long overdue,” warning that contaminated wells are fuelling waterborne diseases such as cholera.
Waste collectors will earn payments based on volumes collected, with rates to be finalised following stakeholder consultations.
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Korede Abdullah 
