Let’s get to know the GreenVETAfrica Partners better!
THE PAN-ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY (PAU)
- Can you tell us a bit more about your role in the GreenVETAfrica project?
The Pan-Atlantic University (PAU) is a private, not-for-profit higher education institution located in Lagos Nigeria. It started with the Lagos Business School in 1991 and later gained university status in 2002. The objective of education in PAU is the well-rounded formation of the human person with a clear mission “to form competent and committed professionals and encourage them to serve with personal initiative and social responsibility the community in which they work, thereby helping to build a better society in Nigeria and Africa at large.” This dream encapsulates the purpose of the University.
With respect to this project, the PAU has responsibility of producing the Skills Gap Analysis Report for Green Waste Management in Nigeria and Ghana. It also leads the entire Work Package 4, which entails piloting a technical training program on Green Waste Management for 100 beneficiaries in Nigeria and Ghana that addresses the identified skill gaps in the waste management sector in both countries.
- What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the waste management sector in Africa?
There are three essential challenges facing waste management in Africa.
- Scarce waste collection and processing services.
- Shortage of skilled workers in the entire waste management value chain.
- Lack of existing technical training that specifically addresses the skills shortage in Africa’s waste management sector.
- What do you think is going to be the biggest long-term impact of the project?
This project will pave the way for more future in-depth contextual study and analysis of the changing dynamics and challenges in waste collection, treatment, recycling and disposal. Indeed, context matters. Understanding the geographies of waste generation, and stakeholder dynamics at community, sub-national and national levels can help provide insights into addressing interconnected issues around waste management, such as youth empowerment and employment through the provision of relevant technical and vocational training.
- What do you think is the added value of addressing the Waste Management Industry’s issues through an international cooperation project?
A major value this brings is the opportunity to learn from other partners who are also subject matter experts focussed on different geographies. We learn how waste management has evolved in Europe and the current practices and challenges of waste management within the European context from our European partners. Same also with the African partners who share different country-level experiences that enrich the outcomes of the project.
