This document proposes integrating Almajiri (itinerant Islamic students) into waste management schemes in Northern Nigeria to address challenges. It outlines: - Almajiri collect waste but lack opportunities; integrating them could fund their education and reduce poverty/crime. - A strategy would engage Almajiri at all waste management levels from collection to scavenging, generating wealth and sustainability while giving them recognition. - Recommendations include generating green lifestyles, appreciating Almajiri's role, and acting together to address Northern Nigeria's waste management problems through this approach.

1. Almajiri and waste management in
cities of Northern Nigeria
By
Yusuf Abdullahi Rigasa (PhD)
Kaduna State University
aayusuf@msn.com

2. End-of-Waste Resources
Now common sight in Northern cities

3. The collectors
Almajiri and the less privilege

4. The market
small plastic recycling plant

5. The Resource
End-of-waste plastics

6. OUTLINE
• The throw away society – what is it?
• Background – waste, facts n figures
• Waste management services – what are the issues?
• Almajiri – who are they?
• Waste management in cities of Northern Nigeria
• Current and future challenges of waste
management in the North
• The proposed strategy
• Recommendations
• Conclusions

7. Objectives
• To Propose a sustainable approach
for integrating Almajiri into waste
management schemes in the North
• To
Highlight
benefits
constraints (SWOT)
and

8. Throw-away society
• Human society strongly influenced
by consumerism
The facts • Over-consumption – of everything
• Excessive production of short-lived/
disposable stuff

9. What is waste?
The general definition:
• anything discarded
• anything out of use
• anything out of need
The technical definition:
• Its actually a resource in the wrong
place

10. What is waste management?
Making money from waste

11. Why Manage Waste?
• Money
• Public health and safety
• Sustainable development
• Environmental protection
• Resource conservation
• Concern for future generations
• Public participation

12. Who are the stakeholders?
• governments n its agencies (SEPA)
• waste contractors
• consultants
• researchers
• scavengers
• recyclers
• waste producers
• users of waste products
EVERYBODY!!!

13. The North

14. The North – facts n figures
• Size:19 states and FCT
• Poverty rate: 71%
•The people: majority are Muslims
• Environmental Assets: Human diversity n
Heritage, Biodiversity, arable soil, rivers n
lakes, beautiful landscapes etc
• Environmental challenges: urbanization, waste
management, pollution, loss of soil fertility n
communal conflicts, public health n sanitation etc

15. Waste Management in Northern
Nigeria – the facts
• Waste collected by contractors or the informal
sector
• Collection by contractors is free
• Informal sector charge a fee
• Waste dumps too far
• Illegal waste dumps used for disposal
• Resource recovery by informal sector
• Resource recovery the only way to sustainability

16. Formal Vs Informal sector
• Formal waste management by SEPAs &
waste contractors
• Informal waste managers are mostly poor
and unemployed with no formal education
• No cost/resource recovery strategy in
Formal WM services
• Resource recovery by informal sector is
market driven

17. THE ISSUES
•EMMERGING CITIES – RAPID URBANIZATION
•INADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURE (landfill, waste dump)
•LIMITED RESOURCES
•LACK OF EXPERIENCED MANPOWER
•LOW PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
•INADEQUATE (COPYCAT) WASTE MANAGEMENT POLICIES

18. Methods of waste disposal
• Burning – 38%
• Barrow boys – 37%
• Refuse contractors – 8%
• Waste burial – 3%
• others – 14%
(Hyuwa 2002)
• What is the picture now?

19. What is the way forward?
• We need data
• From data we plan
• Plan will identify stakeholders
• Set goals and targets
• Identify functional strategies and
equipment
• Stakeholder interaction/collaboration

20. The logic
• There is no single best method of
waste management
• Strategy will be different for each
community and set of circumstances

21. Almajiri – what we see

22. Almajiri – what they are

23. Almajiri – what they could become

24. Almajiri - Who are they?
• Itinerant male informal students of Islamic
education
• School – Tsangaya
• Teacher – Mallam
• Pupil – Almajiri
• Patronage – Poor Muslim communities
• Numbers – 9.5 million
• Social status – deprived underclass
• Opportunities – low paid/petty jobs
Fact – they are Nigerians with rights

25. Al-Majiris in Nigeria (Source: Edet, 2011)

26. Almajiri - what they do
1- they study

27. 2 – they Beg

28. 3- they work

29. 3 – they can collaborate for business

30. 4 - good business improve quality of life

31. The facts
• The Almajiri system lacks funding
• Lack of funds/ opportunities encourage
poverty
• Poverty encourage begging and crime
• Crime induce conflicts
• Conflicts may lead to terror
• Educational integration has failed
• Economic integration may work
• Waste management can source funds for
the system

32. What is the way forward?

33. The Proposed strategy: Integrated Solid Waste
Management Strategy (ISWMS)

34. Proposed Regulatory Framework
State's Chief Executive
(Governors)
State's Ministry of Environment
(Commissioners)
Solid Waste Management Agencies
(General Managers)
Local Government Councils
(Chairmen/councillors)
Consultants
(Directors/CEOs)
Communication promotes
enforcement
Communication Drives
Excellence
Waste Contractors
(mallams)
Local Waste Management Supervisor
(mallams)
Household Waste Collection
(al-majiri)
Waste Dump Scavengers
(al-majiri)
Street Sweepers
(al-majiri)
Bin Men
(al-majiri)

35. Waste management potentials of
Almajiri in Northern cities
The Strengths
• They are many
• They are every where
• They are disciplined
• Functional hierarchy
• Harmony with local terrain and people
• Dependable social class
The weaknesses
• Pride and prejudice
• Voiceless
• Conservative
• Poverty

36. Opportunities
• Trusted and reliable
• competitive labor force
• move up the waste hierarchy
• create wealth from waste
• Sustainability
Threats
• Lack recognition and representation
• Lack organization n formal education
• Lack access to market n capital
• Corruption
• Bureaucracy
• Limited opportunities
• No functional framework for their engagement in
WMS

37. Recommendations
• Green lifestyles
• Green choices
• Environmental education
• Generate Wealth not Waste
• Regard for All Life & Human Health
• New Ideas & Different Thinking
• Engineer for Simplicity & Practicality
• Recycle Whenever Possible
• Avoid the Mistakes of Others
• Recognise and appreciate the role of Almajiri in waste
management

38. CONCLUSIONS
• Almajiri can make a positive
contribution in the management of
MSW in the North
• Spread the message
LETS ACT TOGETHER

40. Remember
your waste, your money
Thank u 4 listening