The Jospong Group of Companies and its interna­tional partner, Komptech GmbH, have undertaken training in Integrated Solid Waste Manage­ment, Circular Economy, Com­posting, Thermal Waste Recovery (Refuse Derived Fuel), Landfill Management and Emissions Treatment for waste management professionals in the Western and Western North regions of Ghana.

The training is part of a series of capacity-building programmes aimed at enhancing waste man­agement expertise in Ghana, under the initiative known as the “Jospong-Komptech Waste Acade­my.”

The Project Manager of the Jospong-Komptech Waste Acad­emy, Mr Jacob Kwaku Ladi, who also serves as the Group Head of Learning and Development at the Jospong Group of Compa­nies, explained in his introductory remarks that through the collabo­ration with Komptech GmbH, the Austrian Development Agency, the Technical University of Vi­enna, and ICEP (a social impact NGO in Austria), the programme, had been jointly developed to strengthen capacity in waste man­agement processes.

He said the initiative targeted individuals directly engaged in the environment and sanitation services industry in Ghana, span­ning both the private and public sectors.

The Head of Jospong Acad­emy, Brigadier General (Rtd) Mike Akpatsu, stated that since its launch in Accra last year, the “Jospong-Komptech Waste Acade­my” has already trained waste management professionals at vari­ous levels, including top executives and managers.

He added that the nationwide training was being facilitated by professionals from the Jospong Group who had undergone exten­sive training in Ghana and Austria to equip them as local trainers, with the ultimate goal of extend­ing the programme to all regional and district-level waste managers across Ghana.

Mr James Deku, a waste man­agement trainer, took the partic­ipants through Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM), Cir­cular Economy, Landfill Manage­ment, and Emissions Treatment.

Mr Isaac Awuah, also a train­er at the Academy, taught the participants composting as well as the Elements and Processes of ISWM.

Other sessions were led by Israel Achaempong, who taught Thermal Energy Recovery (Refuse Derived Fuel), and Mr Michael Ashaigbor, who guided partic­ipants on Waste Management’s impact on the Sustainable Devel­opment Goals (SDGs).

The participants expressed their excitement about the knowledge acquired, describing the training as an “eye-opener” that would help improve waste management in their various communities.

A District Manager of the Effia Kwesimintsim Municipal Assem­bly, Ms Patience Baah Anyanful, in an interview described the training as very educative, saying “The training was very educative and covered all the key elements of my waste management activities in the district. I look forward to applying the knowledge to improve waste management in the communities I serve.”