By Editor By Bosede Olufunmi, Kano
The Refuse Management and Sanitation Board (REMASAB) has partnered with Sahcon Fumigation and Cleaning Services (SFC) to train waste management practitioners in Kano, as part of renewed efforts to strengthen sustainable waste collection and disposal across the state.
The one-day capacity-building workshop, themed “Sustainable Waste Collection and Disposal,” brought together Private Sector Participants (PSPs) and key stakeholders in the waste management sector.
Speaking at the event on Wednesday, the Managing Director of REMASAB, Dr. Muhammad Khalil, said the state government has intensified its strategy to improve waste management through professional training, stronger regulations, and stricter enforcement of payments for waste services.
He revealed that REMASAB and private waste operators had jointly agreed to ensure full implementation of waste management regulations. As part of ongoing reforms, the state government has reviewed franchise agreements for registered waste collectors and will soon allocate new operational zones to enhance timely waste evacuation and disposal.
“Waste management is not solely the responsibility of government; private companies also play key roles across designated zones,” he said.
Dr. Khalil highlighted non-payment of service fees as a major setback for PSPs. He noted that the revised agreements now provide room for tougher enforcement. While the state has provided litter bins at major locations such as State Road, Race Course, and Airport Road, he lamented the low level of public compliance.
“Waste management is a collective responsibility. Ignorance is not an excuse. We are intensifying sensitisation through the mass media, social media and direct engagement,” he added.
In his remarks, the Managing Director of SFC, Dr. Sani Usaini, stressed the need for best practices in waste collection, adherence to safety standards, and improved recycling culture.
“We can turn any waste into wealth. Nowadays, no waste is useless,” he said.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Kano Indigenous Waste Management Association, Dr. Bala Muhammad, urged the government to enforce stricter compliance to ensure residents pay for waste collection services. He noted that poor payment habits had crippled the operations of private waste companies.
“In some communities with about 100 households, only 15 to 20 pay for the services rendered,” he said, adding that charges remain affordable, as operators bill about N5,000 to service a 200-litre dustbin four times monthly.
Dr. Muhammad applauded the introduction of mobile courts by the state government, expressing optimism that defaulters would now be compelled to comply.
“With mobile courts in place, it will no longer be business as usual,” he said.