The Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Climate Change and Circular Economy, Mrs. Titi Oshodi, has called for more funding and increased participation in the circular economy sector. She said these are the only ways to unlock the sector for economic development, social welfare, and environmental preservation.

She made this call during the launch of the FREE Recycle Flip-Flop Launch. This initiative by FREE Recycle uses recycled tyres to create flip-flops. According to the MD of Freee Recycle, Ifedayo Runsewe, the flip-flops were made from recycled tyres, which shows the power of innovation and exemplifies the principles of the circular economy.

Delivering the keynote address, Mrs. Titilayo Oshodi congratulated the management of Freee Recycle, noting that the flip-flop demonstrates the company’s continued and enduring commitment to sustainability and the growth of the circular economy. She said that organisations like Freee are testaments to the economic, wealth, and carbon reduction potentials of the circular economy.

According to her, “What we are seeing here today is not just a display of creativity, innovation, and resilience; it is a testament to the fact that a circular economy is possible and can impact us in a lot of ways. FreeeRecycle is making us believe once again that climate change is not all gloom and doom. These same materials that pose serious threats to our lives and environment can be repurposed and recycled for our good.”.

“What we need to see are more daring businesses like Freee. And for that to happen, we must advocate for increased funding for the sector. Access to funds is still a challenge for circular businesses because of issues such as access to markets, scalability, and an opaque value chain, to mention a few. But we can’t deny that it is a way to go to address the growing threats to our environment.”.

“These challenges are the reasons why my office at the OCCE is working to define the market. We understand that for funding to come, the market needs to be well-defined with all the parameters that make investment easy and sustainable. For us, it is one thing that we can commit to as we work to drive the continued growth of the sector in  Lagos,” she said.