Environment
THE Enugu State Government, in collaboration with the Society for Planet and Prosperity (SPP), has officially flagged off the implementation of the Subnational Methane Action Coalition (SMAC) project with an inception meeting themed “From Policy and Institutional Framework to Action: Piloting Subnational Methane Mitigation in Enugu State’s Waste Sector.” The initiative marks a significant milestone towards developing Enugu State’s first implementation-ready policy and institutional framework for methane mitigation in the waste sector, with a particular focus on landfill and dumpsite methane emissions.
The technical assistance project is funded by the Climate Group under the Subnational Methane Action Coalition (SMAC) and was facilitated by Professor Chukwumerije Okereke, Special Adviser to the Governor on Climate Policy and Sustainable Development and President of the Society for Planet and Prosperity.
Speaking during the inception meeting, Professor Okereke described the project as a strategic intervention that will strengthen collaboration between the Enugu State Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and the Enugu State Waste Management Authority (ESWAMA) to prioritise the measurement, management and mitigation of methane emissions from the waste sector. According to him, the project positions Enugu State as a national pioneer in translating climate policy commitments into practical implementation, while supporting Nigeria’s obligations under the Climate Change Act 2021 and the country’s Long-Term Low Emissions Development Strategy (LT-LEDS).
Professor Sam Ugwu, the Honourable Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, in his remark, commended the partnership and noted that “this is the first of such project in the whole of Nigeria.” He reaffirmed the State Government’s commitment to providing the necessary institutional support to ensure the successful delivery of the project and to position Enugu as a model for subnational methane action across the country.
Delivering the technical presentation, Professor Diemuodeke Ogheneruona, highlighted the urgent need for a dedicated institutional framework for methane mitigation in Enugu State’s waste sector. He noted that Enugu generates approximately 420 tonnes of municipal solid waste daily, serving an estimated 722,664 residents, with annual methane emissions from waste estimated to range between 456 and 4,681 tonnes of methane (tCH₄). Despite existing climate policy commitments, the state currently lacks a comprehensive framework that clearly defines institutional responsibilities, baseline methodologies, hotspot identification, and coordinated interventions for methane management.
He explained that the project aims to establish clear institutional roles among ESWAMA, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, and Local Government Authorities; develop practical and low-cost methodologies for measuring landfill methane emissions; validate a stakeholder-driven policy and institutional framework; and identify priority mitigation measures including organics diversion, improved landfill operations, controlled waste cells and waste-to-energy opportunities.
Professor Ogheneruona further outlined the project’s five-stage implementation approach, which includes policy diagnostics, institutional mapping, stakeholder engagement, action planning and validation, and finalisation of the framework over an eight-month period culminating in January 2027. The project will deliver Enugu State’s first validated methane action framework, a governance and reporting model, a baseline methane measurement protocol, a prioritised mitigation portfolio, and a 2027–2028 implementation roadmap capable of attracting further technical assistance, public investment and climate finance to Enugu State.
Participants at the inception meeting included representatives of the Enugu State Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, ESWAMA, development partners, academia and technical experts, who collectively reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the successful implementation of the project.
The initiative is expected to position Enugu State as Nigeria’s leading subnational government in methane mitigation from the waste sector, while creating a replicable model for other states seeking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve waste management systems, and unlock access to climate finance through implementation-ready climate action.
Gboyega Olorunfemi and Elochukwu Anieze (SPP)
M.P
Tags: Enugu Govt. ESWAMA Prof. Chukwumerije Okereke Society for Planet and Prosperity Subnational Methane Action Coalition