The Abia State Government has commenced the registration and documentation of scrap and metal dealers across the state as part of measures to regulate the industry, protect genuine operators and tackle activities associated with vandalism and criminality.
The Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Philemon Asonye Ogbonna, disclosed this during a stakeholders’ sensitization and engagement on the Registration, Licensing and Regulation of Scrap and Metals Operators in Abia State, organized by the Ministry of Environment’s Project Implementation Unit (PIU), Scrap and Metals Management, in Umuahia.
Ogbonna explained that the registration exercise would enable the government to establish a comprehensive database of scrap dealers operating across the state. According to him, the database would help authorities identify legitimate operators and distinguish them from individuals who may be using the scrap business as a cover for criminal activities.
The Commissioner emphasised that the immediate objective of the exercise was regulation and data gathering, rather than revenue generation. He also appealed to security personnel to avoid unnecessary harassment of genuine scrap dealers who operate within the law.
He warned, however, that anyone found buying or selling suspected stolen materials or engaging in criminal activities would be investigated and prosecuted in accordance with existing laws.
Ogbonna urged scrap dealers to cooperate with the government by registering their businesses and ensuring that their operations complied with relevant regulations.
He noted that the scrap industry plays an important role in environmental management through waste reduction, recycling, resource recovery and the promotion of a circular economy.
The Commissioner assured operators that the state government would continue to engage with stakeholders and work towards creating an enabling environment for legitimate scrap businesses to thrive.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Mr. Ikechukwu Chidozie Oriuwa, said the registration exercise would help the government determine the number and locations of scrap dealers operating in Abia and ensure that the sector was properly organised.
Oriuwa stressed that the government would no longer permit an unregulated, all-comers approach to scrap dealing, insisting that operators must be properly identified and registered.
He clarified that while taxation remains a responsibility of organised businesses, the immediate priority of the ongoing exercise was registration and data gathering.
The Permanent Secretary further acknowledged the role of scrap dealers in keeping the environment clean, noting that the recovery of scrap materials contributes to waste reduction and environmental sustainability.
The Legal Adviser to the National Association of Scrap Dealers, NASWADEN, Barrister Peter Asagwara, commended the state government for the initiative, describing it as a welcome step towards protecting legitimate operators and sanitising the industry.
Similarly, one of the scrap dealers, Mr. Emenike Ukachi, called on operators to clearly separate legitimate business activities from criminal practices. He also urged greater cooperation between dealers and government authorities to achieve a well-regulated scrap industry.
In her presentation, the Head of the Project Implementation Unit (PIU), Scrap and Metals Management, Mrs. Onyinyechi Amanahu, said the scrap and metals sector contributes significantly to employment, income generation, recycling, waste reduction and resource recovery.
She encouraged operators to register their businesses, maintain proper records, handle scrap materials responsibly and refrain from purchasing materials suspected to have been stolen.
Amanahu reiterated the state government’s call for all scrap and metal dealers operating in Abia to participate in the registration exercise and support efforts to establish a safe, organised, environmentally responsible and economically productive scrap and metals sector.
Obioma Chidinma Success
P.R.O., Ministry of Environment
