By Sulyman Ummulkhayr
As a political science graduate, Gegele Yahya Olushola was driven by the challenges of unemployment, environmental degradation, and over-reliance on oil in Nigeria– thus he created Premium Blue Economy, an initiative that offered a systemic approach to creating opportunities by addressing these challenges innovatively and sustainably.
Yahya’s background in the political concept of Gunter Pauli, a Belgium’s entrepreneur and economist inspired him to use waste as, “it aligns with solving practical problems while fostering economic and social transformation,” he emphasized.
Effects of Plastic Waste
Globally, Nigeria is ranked ninth (9th) for plastic pollution with an estimated 2.5 million tons of plastic waste generated annually and less than 12% recycled.
While speaking with PEN PRESS, Yahya highlighted ways through which plastic waste affects communities leaving them in deteriorating status.
“Environmental Pollution is one of the significant problems caused by Plastic Waste. This is because when plastic clogged drainage systems, it led to flooding during the rainy season like what happened in Lagos a few months back,”he asserted.
Data analysis reveals that Bayesa, Katsina, Lagos, and Oyo are the four states that generate the majority of the plastic waste in Nigeria. Making Lagos vulnerable to flooding as asserted by Yahya.
“Another effect of plastic waste is the health hazard it usually causes. By burning plastic waste it releases toxic fumes, causing respiratory issues.
Response to Plastic Waste Menace
To combat plastic waste crisis, Premium Blue Economy implemented several innovative solutions. Early 2023, this organization initiated a plastic collection and upcycling initiative to prevent environmental hazards by ensuring plastics are gathered and repurposed instead of discarded.
Premium Blue Economy also leverages pyrolysis technology by converting plastic waste into diesel fuel which has the potential to create jobs.
“Our solution was inspired by Nigeria’s challenges with fuel scarcity, plastic waste, and unemployment. Converting waste into diesel tackles these issues simultaneously while reducing environmental damage,” he explained.
He further stated that they successfully collaborate with waste pickers, and community organizations to establish collection centers. “Incentives such as cash encourage waste picker members to participate because our price is attractive,” he said.
Since inception in 2018, this initiative has provided over 1000 jobs in waste management and recycling with the production of over 120,000 liters of diesel monthly.
Speaking with PEN PRESS, Yahya noted that they had ensure sustainability through continuous stakeholder engagement, adaptive technology, and policy advocacy ensure long-term sustainability and scalability. “By integrating systems thinking, we consider the interconnections between waste, energy, jobs, and community health.”
Vision for The Future
For Yahya, success is a future where waste is seen as a valuable resource. “Empowering local communities with jobs, clean environments, and better livelihoods is the goal,” he shared.
Through Premium Blue Economy, Yahya envisions positioning Nigeria as a global leader in waste management, showcasing it as a model for other developing nations.
“We want to inspire a society where innovation drives inclusive economic growth, and sustainability is at the core of development,” he concluded.
This story is supported by the National Association of Campus Journalists (NACJ), of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS).