TODAY’S VIEWPOINT IS ON THE RISE OF SCAVENGING IN NIGERIA
Known in local parlance as “baban bola” or “iron condemn”, scavengers also known as informal waste pickers are a common sight across cities and rural areas.
They rummage through bins, dumpsites, and public spaces in search of recyclable materials to sell.
Scavengers typically collect items such as plastic, metal, paper, and electronics, earning modest sums from middlemen or scrap dealers.
It is an act of resilience in the face of a failing economy, while in many rural and urban settlements, scavengers are increasingly being accused of criminal behaviour.
Under the guise of searching for scrap, some have been alleged to spy on homes during the day and return to steal valuables under the cover of darkness.
There have also been reports of vandalized manhole covers, stolen power cables, and broken pipes, all believed to have been taken and sold to scrap dealers.
Also, it is now common to see scavengers gate crashing social events such as weddings and funerals, sometimes even before the end of such celebrations.
Their targets are not just leftovers, but empty bottles, used disposable plates, and any item that could fetch money.
However, the environmental hazards of scavenging cannot be ignored either.
In their desperate search for valuable waste, many scavengers scatter refuse indiscriminately, worsening the sanitation challenges already plaguing the society.
Also, the involvement of minors in scavenging is another area that calls for concern.
Many of these children are out of school, working long hours in hazardous conditions for little or no pay and their future is slowly being buried under the heaps of waste.
Scavengers operate without regulation, identification, or health monitoring.
Communities occasionally clamp down on their activities, but without providing viable alternatives, such efforts achieve little more than temporary displacement.
There is a pressing need to formalize the role of these informal workers in waste management.
Such integration could turn an urban liability into a green asset, creating jobs while improving recycling and sanitation efforts.
The federal and state governments, in partnership with National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) NESREA and health ministries, must act in tandem to address this issue.
Effective policies should focus not only on enforcement but also on education, social protection, and creating safer economic opportunities, particularly for children involved in scavenging.
Scavengers are a symptom of a broken system.
And until that system is fixed, they will remain products of neglect, survival, and desperation.
