The Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Lagos State Government have both pledged to provide necessary support for the successful hosting of the Lagos Circular Economy Hotspot 2023 scheduled to hold this month in Lagos.
The Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Innovation and Technology, Mr Olatunbosun Alake; Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Environment & Water Resources, Mr Gaji Omobolaji; Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Office of SDGs, Mrs Bosede George; and the Deputy Consul General of the Kingdom of Netherlands in Nigeria, Ms. Leonie Van der Stijl, made the pledge during a fundraiser event held at the Office of the Netherlands Consulate in Lagos.
According to Alake, Lagos State government recognises environmental, social, and economic benefits the circular economy event can provide for over 20 million persons residing in the state.
Some of these benefits, he said, included increased economic empowerment through creation of green jobs, improved health and sanitation, waste reduction, waste to wealth as well as waste to energy strategy for a cleaner and better Lagos.
Van der Stijl, in her remark, disclosed that the Netherlands was delighted to identify with the efforts of the Nigerian chapter of the African Circular Economy Network (ACEN).
The Netherlands, she said, is actively involved in providing support for entrepreneurs to ensure that the planet remains habitable.
She said. “We have no idea what the planet will look like in the next 30 years. We must therefore design systems that draw resources from the environment and be able to replace it as the planet is no longer able to replenish resources we are using. Our focus in the kingdom of the Netherlands is to help businesses that come up with these ideas and these are the companies that we are prepared to work with.”
The Lead for the Nigerian chapter of the African Circular Economy Network and Partner of the Lagos Circular Economy Hotspot 2023, Kemi Ajakaiye, said the chapter was prepared to show to the world the plethora of opportunities and array of talents that abound in Nigeria.
She emphasised the fact that circular economy has the potentials to cure Nigeria and the African economy in general of the debilitating effect of the COVID 19 pandemic, reduce unemployment in the continent and help to place distressed economies on the path of recovery earlier than envisaged.
The Lagos Circular Economy Hotspot is an initiative of the Kingdom of Netherlands that brings together policy makers, businesses, companies, civil society organisations, entrepreneurs, citizens, knowledge institutions and government of different nations in a bid to promote and support collaboration, knowledge sharing, highlight strategies and exchange ideas towards transition to circular economy.
As the 1st of its kind in the Africa continent, the Lagos Circular Economy Hotspot will play host to over 150 foreign attendees from 20 countries as well as over 500 participants from across Nigeria.
The event will also hold later in the year in Dublin, Republic of Ireland as well as Santiago de Chile,
The theme for the Lagos Circular Economy Hotspot is ‘”Towards A Circular and Resourceful Economy: The Future Lagos’ with focus on three thematic areas, which are Enabling Policies and Institutions, Limitless Collaborations and Models and Systems for the Future.
