Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital will record another epoch-making event this week, the International Waste Summit 2021, which promises to be a convergence of Waste Management, Environmental, Green Energy, Transformative Technology, and other experts to discuss the future of Waste Management.

This event, which is being organized by the Waste Management Society of Nigeria (WAMASON) with the theme: “Waste Management In An Emerging Economy: Challenges And Opportunities”, will have in attendance the National President of WAMASON, Professor Oladele Osinbanjo, amongst other high profile guests.

These include Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, Minister of Environment, Dr Mohammad Abubakar, Chairman, Senate Committee on Communication, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Environment and Habitat, Hon. Obinna Chidoka, Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Management Board (NCDMB), Simbi Wabote, Managing Director, Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG), Tony Attah, and Director General, Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Bashir Jamoh.

Others are the, Director General, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Professor Aliyu Jauro, Director General, National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, Idris Musa, President, International Solid Waste Agency (ISWA), Carlos Silva Filho, President, Nigerian Environmental Society, Dorothy Bassey, Sole Administrator, Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA), Felix Obuah, General Manager, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Dr. Dolapo Fasawe, and Managing Director, Lagos State Waste Management Agency (LAWMA), Ibrahim Odumboni.

According to the organizers, Environmental Consultant and Managing Director, Globetech Remedial Limited, Ola Oresanya would be the Main Technical Presenter at the Summit, which looks forward to availing participants an avenue for erudite discussions on how to address issues around Waste Management issues.

The 2021 International Waste Summit is scheduled to hold on the 20^th and 21^st of May, 2021 at Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt by 10am prompt and also virtually on the Zoom Conferencing, Facebook, Youtube applications, which links will be made available to registered participants before the date of the event.

The registration link for interested participants is https://wamasonsummit.org.ng/registrations-payments/   

Dignitaries within and outside the state such as the Commissioners and Special Advisers of Environment, Energy, Power Generation, and Health from the 36 States of the Federation, captains of industry, civil society activists, representatives of security agencies, and other stakeholders are expected to be in attendance. Also not left out, are members, associate members and friends of WAMASON.

Chairman of the National Organizing Committee (NOC) for the summit, Prof. Sodienye Abere has assured participants, special guests and all other stakeholders that this would be one submit too impactful to forget in a hurry as very significant and salient issues will be addressed by panelists and discussants during the summit.

Expectations are high that the hydra-headed challenges of turning waste to wealth and managing wastes in such a way as to protect the environment including aquatic life which have remained on the front burner for years would be thoroughly deliberated on during this summit.

An aspect of these expectations include the formulation of policy and legal frameworks to enhance the enforcement of protocols relating to the management of wastes by individuals and corporates both in the urban and rural areas.