Jospong expands waste management footprint to 29 African countries

The Jospong Group of Companies has expanded its operations into 29 African countries, a move its Executive Chairman, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, describes as a major milestone that places Ghana at the forefront of efforts to transform waste management across the continent.

Speaking on the sidelines of a high-level stakeholder dialogue on landfill and waste management in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area, Dr. Siaw Agyepong said the expansion reflects the success of a waste management model developed in Ghana and scaled across Africa.

“The Giant Step into 29 African countries positions Ghana at the heart of the continent's waste revolution,” he told Modern Ghana News.

The stakeholder dialogue, held on Monday under the theme, “Strengthening Final Disposal Site Operations and Sustainable Solid Waste Management Infrastructure in the Greater Accra Region,” was organised by the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs in collaboration with the Jospong Group of Companies.

The event brought together representatives of 26 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the Greater Accra Region, government officials, members of the Environmental Service Providers Association (ESPA), chief executives, sanitation experts, waste management companies, landfill operators, Borla taxi operators, tricycle associations, civil society organisations, community based groups and private sector stakeholders.

Dr. Siaw Agyepong attributed the group's continental expansion to its proven expertise in integrated waste management and its ability to deliver sustainable sanitation solutions.

He said the company is leveraging more than two decades of operational experience and an innovative non sovereign financing model to address Africa's sanitation challenges while creating employment and economic opportunities.

“Today, the Jospong Group employs 10,000 direct staff and has created more than 250,000 indirect jobs across Africa,” he said.

According to him, the group currently operates between 40 and 50 treatment facilities covering solid waste, liquid waste, medical waste, hazardous waste, recycling and composting.

Dr. Siaw Agyepong noted that the company has evolved into one of Africa's largest waste management enterprises.

Addressing participants in his capacity as President of the Environmental Service Providers Association, he explained that Jospong's expansion strategy is anchored on a financing architecture that reduces dependence on sovereign guarantees and traditional donor funding.

“What Zoomlion has developed is that we have developed sustainable financing, an architecture that is very free from sovereign states, sovereign guarantees, and other things from financing agencies. And that is what we have now unleashed to Africa,” he said.

He explained that the model enables the group to provide comprehensive solutions in wastewater treatment, solid waste management, hazardous waste disposal and medical waste treatment without placing additional financial burdens on governments.

Jospong's operations currently span West, East and Central Africa, including Nigeria, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Rwanda, Liberia, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Gabon.

Looking ahead, Dr. Siaw Agyepong disclosed that the group plans to expand into five additional African countries by 2028, with a target of creating 50,000 green jobs while opening opportunities for strategic partnerships and co investment.

He called on financial institutions, investors and young Africans to support what he described as homegrown solutions aimed at promoting sustainable development and environmental resilience across the continent.

Reflecting on the company's journey, he said Jospong has spent the last 20 years building the technical expertise and institutional capacity required to tackle Africa's growing waste management challenges.

“What is still needed is the capital and the partnerships to grow,” he stated.

With operations now spanning nearly half of Africa, the Jospong Group's expansion represents a significant milestone for Ghanaian enterprise and reinforces efforts to build a circular economy that transforms sanitation challenges into opportunities for economic growth and job creation.

Addressing the gathering, the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mr. Ahmed Ibrahim, urged stakeholders to embrace innovative approaches that treat waste as a valuable economic resource rather than merely a disposal problem.

He noted that many cities around the world are generating economic value from waste through recycling, composting, resource recovery and energy generation.

“Ghana cannot afford to remain solely focused on disposal when valuable resources continue to exist within waste streams. Opportunities for job creation, industrial development, and environmental sustainability can emerge when waste is viewed not only as a challenge but also as a potential resource,” he said.

Mr. Ibrahim also called for deliberate efforts to integrate the thousands of young people and informal sector workers whose livelihoods depend on waste related activities.

“Any future roadmap should create opportunities for greater inclusion, skills development, and formal participation within the evolving waste management ecosystem,” he stated.

The Minister said the dialogue was expected to produce consensus on practical measures to address current landfill and waste disposal challenges while identifying sustainable financing options and strengthening institutional support systems.

He stressed the importance of defining stakeholder responsibilities and developing a coordinated roadmap for sustainable waste management infrastructure.

Mr. Ibrahim further advocated the establishment of an effective technical working arrangement to monitor implementation and sustain momentum beyond the dialogue.

He expressed optimism that the discussions would contribute significantly to the development of a more efficient, inclusive and environmentally sustainable waste management system in Ghana.