Osun Trade Fair To Promote Waste Recycling, Sustainable Enterprise

By Ayobami Agboola, Osogbo

The 2026 Osun Trade Fair will spotlight investment opportunities in waste recycling, agricultural by-product utilisation and alternative energy as part of efforts to promote sustainable enterprise and reduce production costs.

The eight-day event, scheduled for November 17 to 24, is expected to bring together government representatives, farmers, manufacturers, investors, technology providers and other business stakeholders to explore ways of converting waste into economic value.

The Chairman of the 2026 Osun Trade Fair Planning Committee, Engr. Olugbenga Olateru, disclosed this on Tuesday during a press conference in Osogbo to unveil the event’s prospectus.

The fair is themed “Enhancing Public-Private Partnerships Through Circular Economy for Sustainable Growth.”

Olateru said the circular economy offered opportunities for businesses to reduce waste, improve resource efficiency and create new revenue streams from materials that would otherwise be discarded.

He cited cassava peels, rice husks, maize residues and oil-palm waste as agricultural by-products that could be processed into animal feed, organic fertiliser, biomass energy and other commercially valuable products.

He also identified plastics and discarded tyres as potential sources of raw materials for recycling enterprises, adding that alternative energy options, including compressed natural gas (CNG), could help businesses explore ways of reducing their dependence on conventional fuels.

According to him, embracing such opportunities would support environmental protection while creating new businesses, improving farmers’ earnings and generating employment for young people and women.

“The circular economy offers Osun State an opportunity to move away from the traditional practice of producing, consuming and discarding resources towards a system that promotes reuse, recycling, resource efficiency and the recovery of economic value at every stage of production,” he said.

The committee chairman maintained that agriculture remained one of the state’s most promising sectors for economic diversification but stressed that its benefits could be expanded through investments in processing, packaging, storage, distribution and export development.

He said the trade fair would provide a meeting point for businesses and investors to explore partnerships capable of turning these opportunities into viable commercial ventures.

Olateru emphasised that government and private-sector collaboration was critical to achieving the objectives, noting that public institutions had a role to play in providing supportive policies, infrastructure and institutional facilitation, while businesses could contribute capital, technology, innovation and market access.

He urged farmers’ associations, cooperative societies, manufacturers, financial institutions, investors and development organisations to participate in the fair and showcase solutions that combine economic productivity with environmental responsibility.

He added that the event was expected to strengthen local value chains, improve the competitiveness of Nigerian products and encourage investment in sustainable businesses.

Olateru said OSUCCIMA remained committed to promoting commerce and partnerships that would translate Osun State’s natural resources into economic opportunities, stronger enterprises and shared prosperity.