For the sixth year running, Nestlé Nigeria has reaffirmed its dedication to environmental sustainability through a comprehensive nationwide clean-up and community sensitization campaign. The initiative, executed in collaboration with the African Clean-Up Initiative (ACI) and local authorities, mobilized 516 Nestlé Cares volunteers drawn from the company’s head office, regional branches, and factories.
Spanning 11 cities across Nigeria, the clean-up exercise targeted key market locations burdened by high waste volumes. These included Oke-Arin Market in Lagos, Utako Market in Abuja, Abubakar Rimi Market in Kano, Satellite Market in Jos, Sabo Market in Sagamu, Bodija Market in Ibadan, Okoko Market in Agbara, Abaji Market in Abaji, Holyghost Market in Enugu, Aguawka Market in Awka, and Mile 3 Market in Port Harcourt. The campaign resulted in the collection of 5,601 kilograms of solid waste and 379.2 kilograms of recyclable waste, showcasing the impact of corporate-community collaboration in tackling environmental challenges.
At the Lagos leg of the exercise, Mrs. Victoria Uwadoka, Nestlé Nigeria’s Lead for Corporate Communications, Public Affairs, and Sustainability, reiterated the company’s commitment to the global theme of World Environment Day—“Curbing Plastic Pollution.” She highlighted the company’s multi-pronged strategy to combat plastic waste through strategic partnerships and internal initiatives.
“Our commitment to a waste-free future goes beyond our operations,” Uwadoka said. “We are actively engaging stakeholders through collaborations with the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA) and recyclers like Alef Recycling, Wecyclers, Chanja Datti, and MECOM. In addition, our Employee Plastics Collection Scheme (EPCS), launched in 2022, empowers employees to recycle their plastic waste. Through this scheme alone, we have diverted 5,922 kg of plastic waste from landfills. Since 2019, our efforts have helped retrieve over 61,000 metric tons of plastic from the environment.”
Dr. Alex Akhigbe, Founder of the African Clean-Up Initiative, underscored the broader purpose of the campaign, describing it as a movement rooted in sustainability and shared responsibility. “This initiative goes beyond clean-up—it’s about building a culture of environmental consciousness through collective action,” he said. “Every effort, every conversation helps foster a society that values and protects the environment.”
Nestlé Nigeria’s annual clean-up and awareness drive reflects a holistic approach to sustainability, integrating operational accountability with meaningful community engagement. By actively involving its workforce through the Nestlé Cares employee volunteering platform, the company is reinforcing its commitment to environmental and social responsibility while empowering employees to become agents of positive change within their communities.
This initiative not only highlights Nestlé’s role in environmental stewardship but also sets a benchmark for corporate participation in building a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future for Nigeria.
