FCTA begins emergency waste evacuation in Karu, Nyanya over expired contracts

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has launched an emergency waste evacuation exercise in Karu and Nyanya to avert a sanitation crisis following the expiration of waste management contracts.

The contracts, which expired in April 2025, left refuse to pile up in parts of the satellite towns. With new contractors yet to be mobilised, the administration said it is intervening to bridge the gap and prevent an outbreak of disease.

The exercise is being led by the Satellite Towns Development Department (STDD), which has deployed personnel and heavy equipment across Karu, Nyanya and extending to Karshi, Jikwoyi, Kurudu, Girande, and Orozo.

Speaking during the operation, Abdulkadir Zulkiflu, coordinator of STDD, said the clean-up became necessary after the initial three-year contracts expired.

“Initially, there have been contracts going on here for the duration of three years. I think the contract was awarded since 2022, and the contract elapsed this year in April,” he said.

Zulkiflu noted that while the procurement process for new contractors had commenced, the FCT minister directed the department to act immediately.

“Part of the measure that the minister said we should take is to bridge the gap between the procurement process and the award of new contracts that will come,” he said.

He said the terrain posed challenges due to human and vehicular activities, which hinder smooth evacuation.

“You can not totally stop people from passing through. Now, when we are evacuating, we have to stop everybody. After the tipper has been loaded, then it will now go,” he said.

The STDD coordinator added that dump sites were being cleared to accommodate the volume of refuse.

“We have engaged some bulldozers and some heavy equipment to go there and clear waste so as to enable easy movement of the evacuation of the waste,” he said.

On possible collaboration with Super Bujah, a joint task force, to tackle scavengers who worsen the situation, he said: “If provision of these scavengers creates problems, why not tackle it? And if we as a body will have the power to cooperate in terms of tackling it… why not?”

He urged residents to stop indiscriminate dumping of waste and use only approved collection points.

“You see, in terms of waste evacuation, there is what we call collection points… It would be very nice if this kind of place, in fact, if it can be totally removed, that would have gone a long way,” he said, calling for collaboration between the minister and area councils for lasting solutions.