Scavenging activities, which have become ubiquitous in Nigeria, earn scavengers between N5,000 and N8,000 during weekdays, and as much as N11,000 during weekends.
Depending on the location and dedication, some earn up to N400,000 monthly, Nairametrics investigations have shown.
Most of the scavengers who spoke with this medium revealed that they sell between 20 and 30 kilograms of empty plastic bottles daily at the rate of N250 per kilo.
They also revealed that during weekends, they gather more plastic than during weekdays.
One scavenger in Ojo Local Government Area in Lagos, Musa Abdullahi, said each kilo of colored plastic bottles costs N200, while the colourless plastics cost N250.
Nairametrics also learnt that the weight per kilo is about the same price for cartons and scrap iron metals.
What they are saying
Isa Sani, a scavenger in Ota, Ogun State, said he goes from street to street every day, loading his cart with any plastic bottle he can find.
He also said his major sources of plastic bottles are garbage dumps, party sites and restaurants, stating that at the end of each day, he gathers up to 30 kilos of plastics, which he sells to buyers.
Usman Garba, who told this medium that he scavenges in the Alaba area of Ojo LGA, Lagos, said he takes care of his wife and three children with what he makes from scavenging. Garba said he goes about the market looking for empty bottles from Monday to Saturday, weekly.
- “There are many empty bottles in the market because people are many there, and they are always drinking, especially during the dry season. I make more than N10,000 every day from selling empty bottles,” he said.
On his part, Nasir Abubakar scavenges for cartons in Orile, Lagos. He revealed to Nairametrics that he earns between N250 and N300 for every kilo of carton.
Abubakir said he also buys cartons from shop owners and people who gather and sell to him.
- “When I buy from people, I buy at the rate of N100 per kilo and sell at N250 or N300. I make about N8,000 every day. When business is good, I make above N9,000,” he stated.
This medium also spoke with a scrap iron scavenger, Usman Bello, who claimed to be dedicated to the trade as it is his only means of survival. He said he earns as much as ₦350,000 monthly. He revealed that, depending on the location, a scrap metal scavenger could earn as much as N400,000 monthly.
Why it matters
With Nigeria’s perennial high rates of unemployment, the scavenging business is a wide-open opportunity for self-employment as it requires minimal capital.
- The industry is essential to sustaining local steel manufacturing, with high-grade scrap prices often exceeding ₦800,000 per ton, driven by demand for steel rebar in construction.
- Industry stakeholder, Adekunle Johnson, said in the absence of a vibrant steel industry that would have been propelled by the likes of Ajaokuta Steel Plant, the scrap metal industry suffices for some of Nigeria’s manufacturing sector’s essential raw materials.
An important segment of the sector has been identified as the scavengers, who are considered the sources of the raw materials in recycling.
The MD/CEO of FAE Limited, the largest envelope producer in West Africa, and Vice President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce, Princess Bakare Okeowo, has hinted that much of the raw material used for the production of paper in Nigeria is recycled paper.
Annually, recycling plastics saves the country billions of dollars that would have been used to import plastic canned beverages and other household and industrial uses. Nigeria’s plastic recycling sector is valued at approximately $10 billion.
The activities of scavengers, which promote recycling, also protect the environment.
- “If there were proper regulations governing the activities of scavengers of plastics, cartons and iron in Nigeria, scavengers could transform their activities into the level of micro, small and medium scale enterprises (MSMEs).”
This revelation was made by a financial economist at Auchi Polytechnic, Zakari Mohammed, who spoke with Nairametrics on the growing importance of scavengers to Nigeria’s recycling sector.
What you should know
Recycling in Nigeria is a rapidly growing, high-potential sector driven by the need to manage over 2.5 million tons of annual plastic waste, creating a “trash-to-treasure” economy.
It focuses heavily on PET bottles, water sachets, and aluminum, largely driven by informal workers. The industry transforms waste into new products like pillows, plastic products, and construction materials.
However, without proper regulation, the industry could harm the larger society, as observed in the theft of rails from bridges and train tracks in recent years.
