HBM Nigeria Plc, a leading building solutions and construction materials company, has advanced its environmental sustainability efforts with a waste management and public awareness campaign at the Oyingbo Ultra-Modern Market in Lagos.
The initiative, organised in partnership with FABE International Foundation to commemorate World Cleanup Day 2026, focused on improving awareness among traders about waste generation, sorting and responsible disposal.
As part of the programme, HBM Nigeria donated waste management kits and bins to the market while traders received practical guidance on waste segregation. The company and its partner also distributed branded merchandise and parasols as part of the engagement.
Speaking during the clean-up exercise, Temitope Dosumu, director, HBM Eco, said effective waste management should begin at the point where waste is generated, particularly in markets where food, packaging and other forms of waste are produced in significant quantities.
He said the condition of markets where food and other goods are bought and sold has implications for public health, making environmental cleanliness an important part of community wellbeing.
“We chose Oyingbo Market because it is quite strategic. People need to learn the purpose of waste management. What you see as waste today is actually a resource. Sensitisation is key. A clean environment is a healthy space,” Dosumu said.
According to him, greater awareness could also help change attitudes towards waste, including food waste, by encouraging communities to view discarded materials not simply as refuse but as resources that can potentially be recovered, reused or recycled.
Temitope Okunnu, founder and chief executive officer, FABE International Foundation, said the partnership reflected a shared commitment to environmental sustainability and responsible waste management.
Okunnu said engaging market communities was particularly important because of the volume of waste generated through daily trading activities, adding that awareness and practical education were necessary to encourage behavioural change.
Lanre Shasore, head, Street Sanitation Services, Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), commended HBM Nigeria and FABE International Foundation for supporting the initiative and providing an avenue to engage directly with traders on proper waste management practices.
The Iyaloja of Oyingbo Market, Olateju Ramot, also expressed appreciation to the organisers, saying the intervention could encourage traders and other market users to take greater responsibility for maintaining a cleaner and healthier environment.
Formerly known as Lafarge Africa Plc, HBM Nigeria is a member of Huaxin Building Materials Group and is listed on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX).
The company operates cement manufacturing facilities in Ewekoro and Sagamu in Ogun State, Ashaka in Gombe State and Mfamosing in Cross River State, alongside ready-mix operations in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt.
HBM Nigeria currently has an installed cement production capacity of 10.5 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) and supplies cement, ready-mix, mortar and Plaster of Paris products to Nigeria’s construction market.
The Oyingbo campaign ultimately positions waste management as both an environmental and economic issue, with greater sorting, responsible disposal and resource recovery potentially reducing the burden on urban waste systems while creating opportunities to recover value from materials currently treated as waste.
