Waste to Wealth Perspective: Identifying Waste Potentials for Small Scale Business Development in Ogun State, Nigeria

Abstract

The paper addresses the possibility of wealth creation in the real sense of it beyond theoretical postulations, which abound from previous studies on waste in Nigeria. Among such previous studies referenced, majority did not delve into the real process of turning waste to wealth for the purpose of creating actual wealth. This study therefore intends to achieve actual wealth creation from waste by throwing entrepreneurial challenge to the indigenous talented and skillful individuals. The study discovered six ‘waste’ items, that is, maize husk, pure water nylon, banana stem, pineapple leaves, sisalina leaves and areca leaves that are convertible manually into new products such as maize-husk paper products; paving stones/slabs from pure water-nylon; banana stem, pineapple leaves and sisalina fibre for weaving products such as caps, bags, cloths, floor mats, table mats, decorations, and areca-leaves into -nut plates and spoons useful at parties, restaurants and bukas in Nigeria and Africa.