Lagos State is seeking locally manufactured biodigesters capable of converting fruit and vegetable waste from its markets into cooking gas, in a move aimed at reducing the volume of organic waste transported to dumpsites and expanding the use of waste as an energy resource.
The Managing Director of the Lagos Waste Management Authority, Muyiwa Gbadegesin, made the call on Tuesday, urging Nigerian engineers, fabricators, researchers and biogas entrepreneurs to develop affordable systems that can be deployed across the state’s food markets.
Gbadegesin said the initiative was designed to explore ways of processing organic waste close to where it is generated rather than transporting large quantities to dumpsites.
“Can we turn separated fruit and vegetable waste into cooking gas close to where it is generated, rather than transport it all to a dumpsite?” he asked in a post on X.
He identified the biodigester at Ikosi Fruit Market, developed through a partnership between the Lagos State Government and C40 Cities, as an existing model that could provide a basis for expanding the initiative.
According to him, the immediate challenge is to make the technology affordable, practical and suitable for wider adoption by markets, while ensuring that the equipment can be manufactured and maintained locally.
“The Ikosi Fruit Market biodigester, developed through Lagos State’s partnership with @c40cities, gives us a starting point. The next challenge is to make this approach practical and affordable for more markets, with equipment we can manufacture and maintain locally,” he said.
Gbadegesin also called for collaboration between local innovators and international partners willing to support local manufacturing and skills transfer.
He asked prospective innovators to provide details of existing technologies, including the quantity of waste their systems can process daily, gas output, installation and operating costs, maintenance requirements and safety measures.
He also sought information on how the residual material left after the digestion process is managed.
Gbadegesin stressed that any solution adopted for Lagos markets must take into account the practical challenges involved in waste separation, equipment operation and training of market workers.
“The design must account for the daily realities of a busy Lagos market, from separating the waste to training the people who will operate the equipment,” he said.
The LAWMA boss called on innovators with existing solutions to share their work and engage the agency, tagging LAWMA in his appeal for submissions.
The proposed expansion of biodigester technology could provide Lagos with an additional approach to managing its growing organic waste stream while creating opportunities for local manufacturing, technical skills development and alternative energy production.
