President of Automobile and Touring Club of Nigeria (ATCN), a non-governmental organisation that promotes motorsports and road safety advocacy, Mr. Ishaku Bamayi, has emphasised the need for creation of an environmentally sound management of expired or spent tyres in the country.
He also called for increased promotion of empowerment and economic benefits of used tyres in the country.
Mr. Bamayi stated this at a recent training programme organised by the ATCN held at the Cyprian Ekwensi Arts and Culture Centre, Area 10, Abuja, in collaboration with the National Environmental Standard and Regulatory Enforcement Agency (NESREA); Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB); and Used Tyres Producer Responsibility Organisation of Nigeria (UT-PRON), implemented under the FIA sustainable mobility programme.
Mr. Bamayi said the programme was aimed at raising awareness on the hazards posed by improper disposal of used tyres and to promote a circular economic approach via extended producer responsibility (EPR) to the environmentally sound management of used tyres, “which in turn will promote environmental quality, an aspect of the environmental pillar of the FIA Sustainability Roadmap.”
“This awareness campaign will also educate Nigerians on the opportunities available for entrepreneurs to create employment and wealth thereby reducing poverty. In essence, there will be training on the use of waste tyres to develop materials to enhance your knowledge.”
The first training session was undertaken by Engr. Chukwudi, an assistant director, plastic sector in the National Environmental Standards and Regulatory Agency (NESREA) who explained that “the essence of applying EPR is not only to control and manage solid waste but to also engage manufacturers to ensure a policy action on how to re-use spent tyres instead of burning them and polluting the environment.”
Alhaji Ibrahim Umar, president of the Association of Erudite Entrepreneurs of Nigeria, applauded the organisers of the event, saying: “This advocacy helps us to understand that tyre burning is a problem in terms of environmental hazards.”
The managing director of Used Tyres Producers Responsibility Organisation of Nigeria (UT-PRON), Hon. Billy Nwoye, charged the participants to ensure that they take advantage of the entrepreneurial opportunities and tips the training would give to them while the principal technical officer of VIO, Mr. Moses Daniel, commended ATCN for the advocacy programme.
More than 200 participants were trained on how diesel and furniture could be produced from used tyres by Umar Yabo and Priscilla Babajide, respectively and took part in the street rally.
