Lagos govt unveils programme for collecting used cooking oil from residents

The Lagos State Government has unveiled a scheme for collecting used cooking oil from residents across the state in a move aimed at strengthening environmental protection, improving public health, and advancing climate action, while unlocking an estimated $20 million biofuel market.

The initiative, driven by the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources and the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, is being implemented in partnership with Ororo Waste Management and supported by the Shell Foundation.

It was unveiled on Thursday at an event attended by government officials, private sector partners, environmental experts and youth representatives.

Speaking at the unveiling, the General Manager of LASEPA, Babatunde Ajayi, said the programme was designed to position Lagos as a significant player in the global biofuel supply chain while addressing pollution and health challenges associated with improper disposal of used cooking oil.

According to him, the initiative is expected to unlock a minimum of $20 million in economic value for the state and place Lagos firmly on the global biofuel map.

Mr Ajayi explained that globally, aviation fuel and other energy sources are increasingly required to comply with stricter climate change standards, with used cooking oil serving as a critical feedstock in the production of biodiesel and sustainable aviation fuel.

He noted that Nigeria’s large population and oil-based cooking culture make the country one of the world’s leading producers of used cooking oil, adding that Lagos alone could account for about 50 per cent of the national volume.

Environmental and health implications

Beyond economic value, Mr Ajayi highlighted the health and environmental implications of improper oil disposal.

“Medically, reheating cooking oil more than once alters its chemical composition, making it harmful to health.

Environmentally, when used oil is poured into drains, it combines with plastics and styrofoam to block drainage systems, damage roads and worsen flooding,” he said.

Environmental regulations in Lagos already prohibit indiscriminate discharge of waste, including oily substances, into drains and public spaces. Officials say the new structured collection system strengthens compliance by attaching economic value to what was previously treated as waste.

Although LASEPA began collecting used cooking oil about two years ago, the agency is now formalising the process by establishing manned collection kiosks at all LASEPA zonal offices and its headquarters.

About the cooking oil collection programme

Under the scheme, residents can deposit their used cooking oil in exchange for rewards, turning household waste into a potential income stream.

“This market excludes nobody. It starts at the household level, and people can earn from what was previously considered waste,” Mr Ajayi said.

He added that the programme would reduce public expenditure on repairing drainage systems and roads damaged by oil blockages, curb pollution-related diseases such as cholera, and improve overall environmental quality.

Mr Ajayi stressed that the initiative would rely largely on voluntary compliance rather than enforcement, arguing that economic incentives would drive behavioural change.

“When you put money at the end of any chain, it works. This initiative will encourage voluntary compliance and transform waste into economic value,” he said.

He further disclosed that the state is targeting Nigeria’s emergence as the third-largest used cooking oil supply chain globally, after China and India, within one year.

The initiative aligns with Lagos State’s broader circular economy strategy, which promotes recycling, waste-to-energy conversion and resource recovery as part of its climate and sustainability agenda.

In recent years, the state has launched campaigns encouraging responsible waste disposal, expanded recycling programmes and explored biogas and other waste-to-energy solutions.

Also speaking, the Director of Environmental Sustainability at LASEPA, Dayo Adebayo, described the programme as inclusive and grassroots-driven, cutting across the three pillars of sustainability — people, planet and prosperity.

She said the availability of collection kiosks at LASEPA zonal offices would encourage participation across gender and socio-economic groups while promoting a circular economy.

The Managing Director and Project Lead of Ororo Waste Management, Ayo Banjo, said the initiative aligns environmental sustainability with public health and livelihood creation.

He explained that while Ororo previously focused on restaurants and hotels, the programme is now expanding to households, which account for about 50 to 60 per cent of used cooking oil generation.

“We are creating an ecosystem where households can earn extra income, waste pickers can have dignified livelihoods, and youths can become micro-entrepreneurs,” Mr Banjo said.

Similarly, the Director of Air Quality Management at LASEPA, Ayodele Oso, said the initiative would help reduce emissions and air pollution linked to unsafe reuse and open burning of used oil.

She urged households, vendors and small businesses to embrace the scheme, describing it as a forward-looking intervention aligned with Lagos State’s environmental sustainability and public health protection goals.

The state government added that youths would play a central role in driving awareness and participation, serving as community-level advocates across markets, restaurants and residential estates.(Premium Times)