By Alex Adi
The Solid Waste Association of Ghana (SWAGH), under the auspices of the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA), has hosted the maiden ISWA Africa conference to address waste management challenges across the continent.
According to Ernest Kusi, President of SWAGH, Africa needs homegrown solutions to solve its sanitation challenges.
“We need African solutions to tackle Africa’s waste management challenges,” he said, adding that the conference provided an opportunity for stakeholders to explore financing models, innovations, and public-private partnerships in waste management.
The Executive Chairman of Jospong Group, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, emphasized the need for sustainable funding models. “We need to come up with innovative ways of ensuring that sustainable funding is made available for waste treatment across Africa,” he stated.
“Global practices, such as those in the UK, where waste management is funded through council tax and property tax, can serve as a model for us,” he added.
Speaking on Dr. Agyepong’s behalf, Dr. Alexander Kumi Larbi Jnr, Director of International Business, stressed the importance of private sector participation, academia, and citizen engagement in waste management. “Waste management is not an expense, it is an investment in public health, in economic growth, and in the betterment of our people,” he noted.
The President of the ISWA African Regional Chapter, Deji Fawole, urged stakeholders to collaborate and find local solutions to Africa’s sanitation challenges. “Let’s talk, let’s collaborate, let’s find solutions, and let’s discuss the problems and solutions,” he said.
The conference, themed “Charting Africa’s path to a wasteless future: Integrated strategies for sustainable waste management,” brought together experts from across Africa and beyond to share knowledge, network, and strengthen professional ties.
The three-day event featured speakers from Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Germany, and Belgium, reflecting the global interest in solving Africa’s waste management challenges.
Key topics included waste financing, waste generation, infrastructure development, and innovative approaches to waste management. By hosting the conference, SWAGH and ISWA Africa demonstrated their commitment to promoting sustainable waste management practices in Ghana and across the continent.
As Kusi concluded: “Where there is a will, there is a way. When government is committed to solving the problem, we can solve it.”
