Mr. Falola Samson is a passionate environmentalist and the Managing Director of one of Nigeria's leading environmental and quality consulting firms.
With a strong track record in wastewater and sewage treatment, environmental impact assessment, food and environmental lab setup, as well as pollution control, he has become a trusted name in the industry.
Over the years, Mr. Falola has spearheaded major projects for top brands including Golden Penny Sugar, Godrej Nigeria, and Ariel Foods, offering smart, sustainable solutions that prioritize compliance and environmental safety.
Your company offers a wide range of environmental services. For our audience of small and medium-sized business owners, what's the single most pressing environmental challenge you see Nigerian SMEs facing today, and why should they care about it from a business perspective?
The single most pressing environmental challenge for SMEs is conducting their business in a sustainable way: Conserving natural resources in their operations.
Apart from protecting the environment, cost of production or doing business will be brought down. For example, by adopting energy efficiency, cutting down on waste through water conservation, adopting paperless communication strategy, use of renewable energy, adopting circular economy etc
Many SMEs might think "environmental services" are just about compliance and regulations, which can seem like a cost. Can you explain how investing in things like waste water treatment or environmental impact assessments can actually lead to tangible financial benefits and competitive advantages for a small business?
It is true that investing in projects like wastewater treatment plant or EIA may seem like it is expensive or a waste of money but it is hugely profitable on the long run.
For example, EIA will ensure that you are able to identify risks/ negative impact that your business can generate ahead of time and make provision for such risks.
If this is not done, it can lead to the end of your business etc. Your wastewater treatment plant will ensure that your business does not constitute nuisance to the environment and your neighbours.
Untreated wastewater being discharged to the environment can find its way into the drinking water in the environment and causes diseases. This can lead to litigation followed by huge financial loss to the company.
You mentioned "converting the environment." Can you give us a concrete example of how a small business, perhaps a food processing company or a manufacturing outfit, could transform a waste product or an environmental challenge into a new revenue stream or a significant cost saving?
There is something called circular economy. This is a situation whereby a company eradicates waste, that is having zero waste. Using something that would have been a waste for another thing. A very good example is recycling of nylons or plastics or using treated sludge as a form of compost for agriculture
For an SME just starting to consider their environmental footprint, where's the best place to begin? What's one or two low-cost, high-impact actions they can take right now to improve their environmental practices?
Companies can start thinking of transitioning to renewable energies such as solar, vehicles powered by gas, ensuring energy conservation by used low energy consumption bulbs and electrical gadgets, going paperless, ensuring reduction of energy wastage by putting off electrical gadgets and bulbs when not in use, conserving water by making sure no damaged pipes or leaking taps, planting of trees in their surrounding etc
Your company also offers consultancy in setting up food and environmental laboratories. How can in-house testing and quality assurance not only help SMEs meet environmental standards but also improve their product quality and build customer trust?
When stakeholders know that your quality control is top- notch and your products meet specification and the wastewater discharged into the environment, in a situation where it is not re-used and you generally value the environment, your customers and consumers will hold you in high esteem and this will increase patronage of your products
"Environmental Compliance Monitoring" sounds official. For an SME, what does this practically involve, and how can they ensure they're staying on the right side of environmental regulations without getting overwhelmed? Are there common pitfalls they should avoid?
ECM should be a culture of any business outfit. Apart from complying with regulatory requirements, you need to ensure your immediate environment is conducive for your staff, neighbours and other stakeholders. An unconducive environment will generally affect efficiency.
You need to regulate the noise level, ensure the working temperature is conducive, control gaseous emissions such as methane, carbonmonoxide, hydrogen sulphide etc. The common npitfall is for business owners to think that this is only about meeting regulatory requirements. No. This is about production efficiency
Beyond the big projects like treatment plants, what are some of the "hidden" environmental opportunities that SMEs might be overlooking in their day-to-day operations â€" perhaps related to energy consumption, raw material usage, or even their supply chain?
The current one in Lagos now is recycling. Apart from single-use plastics which is being banned, cartons, papers, tyres, other forms of plastics can be recycled. A lot of companies can convert their sludge into money. Some of these sludges can be incorporated into animal feeds, some can undergo element extraction. Waste reuse can also help producers to cut down on spending on new raw materials
Looking ahead, what's one piece of advice you'd give to Nigerian SMEs about integrating environmental sustainability into their core business strategy, not just as an afterthought, but as a driver for long-term growth and resilience?
Environmental sustainability is no longer an option, it is a must and it should be the basis of policies and activities of any business outfit. The benefits are economic gain, environmental protection and social inclusion.
