By Maryanne Awuya
In a significant step towards Nigeria’s environmental sustainability and resource recovery, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has officially accredited the Recycling and Economic Development Initiative of Nigeria (REDIN) as a Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) for the automotive sector.
The partnership was formalized on Thursday at the NESREA Head Office in Abuja, where REDIN received its accreditation certificate and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the agency, witnessed by PerSecondNews correspondent.
The landmark agreement grants REDIN the mandate to oversee Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) compliance across the automotive value chain, a critical step toward transforming the management of End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs) from an informal, hazardous practice into a structured, multi-billion-naira circular economy.
Executive Secretary and Chief Responsibility Officer of REDIN, Dr. Fyneray Mbata, said the accreditation is both a privilege and an urgent mandate to safeguard public health and drive economic growth.
He said: “Today is not simply about the presentation of a certificate or the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, but marks a new chapter in Nigeria’s journey towards responsible automotive waste management, resource recovery, environmental protection, and the development of a truly circular economy.”
According to Mbata, under the new regulatory framework, ELVs will no longer be treated as discarded scrap, but as valuable economic assets requiring regulated collection, depollution, dismantling, recycling, and safe disposal.
Beyond environmental mitigation, the REDIN chief highlighted the vast industrial potential of a formal automotive recycling ecosystem, explaining that a properly structured End-of-Life Vehicle recycling ecosystem can create jobs, attract investment, support local manufacturing, reduce dependence on virgin raw materials, encourage innovation, and strengthen Nigeria’s position in the emerging circular economy.
He said the framework would significantly curtail public health hazards linked to abandoned vehicles, toxic emissions, indiscriminate dumping, and the uncontrolled burning of hazardous car parts.
Director-General NESREA, Prof. Innocent Barikor, said, “While the growth of Nigeria’s automotive sector drives vital economic benefits, the rising volume of end-of-life vehicles poses serious environmental and public health threats if left unmanaged.”
“End-of-life vehicles contain high-value materials for recovery, but they also harbor hazardous substances that can severely contaminate land and water, exposing our communities and workers to critical hazards.” He said
He added, warning that the agency’s recognition of REDIN comes with strict regulatory expectations, Prof. Barikor stressed that compliance will be non-negotiable.
“This approval is a serious responsibility, not a free pass. REDIN must operate with total transparency and strict adherence to environmental laws, as NESREA will maintain relentless oversight through compliance monitoring and enforcement to build a sustainable, job-creating circular economy.”
Persecondnews reports that the strategic partnership comes at a crucial juncture for Nigeria’s environmental and industrial sectors.
For decades, the nation’s automotive recycling landscape has been dominated by an unregulated informal sector centered around roadside mechanics and scrap yards, where toxic fluids, heavy metals, used batteries, and waste tyres are routinely handled without protective gear or environmental safeguards.
By enforcing the Extended Producer Responsibility operational model, NESREA and REDIN aim to hold vehicle manufacturers, importers, and distributors accountable for the entire lifecycle of their products, transitioning informal dismantlers into trained, accredited value-chain operators and aligning Nigeria with global ELV recycling standards seen across Europe, East Asia, and North America.
Acknowledging the rigorous vetting procedure conducted by NESREA, Mbata pledged that REDIN would prioritize transparency, professionalization of the value chain, and measurable performance over mere bureaucratic compliance.
He said the certificate received must translate into practical programmes, meaningful partnerships, improved compliance, and measurable environmental outcomes, affirming REDIN’s commitment to ensuring that the confidence placed in them delivers tangible public value.
PerSecondNews correspondent at the event reports that with the MoU now signed, REDIN is set to roll out nationwide stakeholder engagements, producer compliance drives, and public-private integration schemes to formalize auto-recycling operations across the country.
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