Oluwafunbi Bello 
LAGOS, Nigeria – The Association of Scraps and Waste pickers of Lagos (ASWOL) has called for a formal recognition within Nigeria’s circular economy agenda.
ASWOL’s President, Mr Friday made the call on Sunday in a statement to mark this year’s International Waste Pickers’ Day with the theme — “Zero Waste and Circular Economy Initiative: No Sustainability without Waste Pickers” — captured precisely what the group has long argued: that environmental progress cannot be built on the labour of people it simultaneously ignores.
Oku said waste pickers had been practising the circular economy long before it entered the vocabulary of international development forums. Daily, they recover and sort discarded materials, channeling them back into productive use — easing pressure on landfills, curbing pollution, conserving natural resources, and contributing to broader climate goals.
“Our activities reduce landfill pressure, prevent pollution, conserve resources, and support climate action,” Oku said.
Despite this, he noted that the overwhelming majority of waste pickers continue to work without any formal status, social protection, or guaranteed occupational safety.
Oku called on governments and private sector actors to reframe how they view waste pickers — not as informal nuisances operating on the margins, but as environmental service providers deserving of recognition, fair pay, and safe conditions. He urged the inclusion of waste pickers in formal waste management systems and the development of policies that actively accommodate their role rather than overlook it.
He was unequivocal on one point: zero waste is not a policy achievement. It is a human one.
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