Flood-proof property starts with waste-free streets
Nigeria’s Marine Pollution Problem Is Also a Property Problem
Waste doesn’t stay where it’s dropped. It moves through drains, canals and rivers until it reaches the ocean, and it often floods a few streets on the way. That was the message at the second African SDG Film Festival (ASFF 2026) in Abuja, where government, business and community leaders called for real action on plastic and marine pollution.
Olamide Fagbuji, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Climate Technology and Operations, urged government, businesses, development partners and communities to work together. His point was that advocacy only counts when it becomes practical intervention. He warned that flooding, rising temperatures and drought are already threatening livelihoods.
The festival itself shows the appetite is growing. Film entries rose by almost 20 per cent, and youth registrations nearly doubled from the last edition. Over 700 people attended in person, and more than 47,000 followed online. Convener Olufunto Borofice believes storytelling can move people and influence policy in a way reports rarely do.
From Ajegunle to the Ocean
The most concrete work discussed was the PROTEGO Project. It brings together the Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre (NCIC), WASTE Africa, Adelphi and the German government, working with the Federal Government and the Lagos and Cross River State Governments to keep waste out of the ocean.
NCIC’s CEO, Bankole Oloruntoba, said progress in Ajegunle is encouraging. Residents are starting to link careless dumping to ocean pollution, and traditional leaders and young people have joined in. Pilot interventions are underway, with measurable waste-reduction results expected within a year. That’s a realistic timeline, and I respect it. Nestlé Nigeria’s Chinwe Obi added that film helps explain complex environmental problems and nudge behavior. Chanja Datti Limited was also praised for turning waste into useful products, which is the kind of circular economy thinking Nigeria needs more of.
Why Climate Financing Is Quietly Reshaping Nigeria Real Estate
Why Real Estate Should Care
If you own, build or invest in property, this is your business. Clogged drains and waste-choked channels are a leading cause of flooding, and a flooded neighborhood loses value fast. Waterfront and coastal assets depend on clean water to hold theirs.
I’d tell every developer to treat waste management as core infrastructure. Plan for drainage, recycling and collection systems at the design stage, and work with the communities around your projects. Clean surroundings protect your returns as much as any building specification.
Nigeria’s climate action will be won in neighborhoods like Ajegunle, and smart developers will be part of that work.