‎ By Rosemary Ogbonna
‎
‎ Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has launched a waste recycling programme at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos State, to divert 1,383 tonnes of waste from landfills and cut carbon emissions.
‎Managing Director of FAAN, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, disclosed on Wednesday that MMIA generated 1,446 tonnes of waste in 2023 and 1,383 tonnes in 2024, with virtually all of it ending up in landfills without recycling.
‎Speaking at the launch, Kuku said the initiative marks Phase One of FAAN’s comprehensive Circular Economy Programme, which will involve source sorting, centralised collection, and partnership with certified recyclers.
‎”That chapter closes today. From this moment, we are overhauling our approach.
‎“By initiating separation at the point of generation, we are transforming every passenger, partner, and staff member into an active guardian of our shared environmental destiny,” she said.
‎Under Phase One, FAAN will deploy indoor colour-coded bins across terminals. Phase Two will introduce large outdoor colour-coded bins as central collection points. In Phase Three, a certified third-party firm will collect sorted plastics, glass, cans and organic waste for recycling.
‎Kuku said the programme is driven by business and environmental sense, not just compliance.
‎“By creating demand for recycled materials, we close the loop and lower our operational expenditure,” she said.
‎ She added that FAAN also plans a future “Waste-to-Power” initiative to convert waste to energy.
‎Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, described the programme as alignment with global best practice by ACI and ICAO for greener airports.
‎“What we are launching here today is actually a trend all over the world. The trend is to move our airports to cleaner and greener airports,” Keyamo said.
‎He cited zero-emission airports in the UK as examples.
‎Chairman of the FAAN Board, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, assured of the board’s support to sustain the programme.