The rising levels of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere are resulting in a rapidly changing climate and some of these emissions can be traced directly to our solid waste.

As solid waste finds its way into landfills, methane emanates from the decaying waste. That, coupled with the emission of nitrous oxide from solid waste combustion facilities, contributes directly to greenhouse gas emissions.

Because both methane and nitrous oxide have high global warming potentials, with methane having 21 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide having 310 times the warming potential, they cause the atmosphere to warm up faster.

For a continent like Africa that is confronted with ineffective solid waste management because it lacks the resources needed to process the growing amount of solid waste, the situation is only expected to worsen.

According to a World Bank report, sub-Saharan Africa is one of the fastest-growing regions for waste generation and this is expected to triple by 2050. Little wonder nearly 20 of the world’s 50 biggest dumpsites are located on the continent, according to Waste Atlas.

To raise awareness on these climatic and environmental issues in Africa, artists, writers, dramatists, visual artists, and other creative people on the continent have particularly leveraged their media. One of such people is Olanrewaju Tejuoso.

Olanrewaju Tejuoso is fast becoming recognized as a unique voice within the crop of young Nigerian artists whose art speaks directly to environmental and climatic issues. His work processes, sculpture forms, and choice of materials all have one thing in mind – the environment.

Olanrewaju works with materials from his immediate environment — discarded empty sachets of ‘pure water’, wood, biscuit wraps, threads, empty bags of processed foods, polythene and foils — and employs basic processes of tying, folding, stitching, gluing, etc., to creatively call attention to the environmental impact that human activities are having on the earth’s ecosystem.

He believes his current creative exploration is a spiritual assignment which he called “From Waste to Life”, as his creativity enables him to raise useful discourses on the issue at hand.

Olanrewaju has exhibited both locally and internationally and has facilitated art workshops for children across Nigeria.

He exhibits his art at his Aroko Green Museum which is an abandoned building that belongs to the government.

Beyond art, Olanrewaju is also concerned about abandoned buildings and people as he lets homeless people stay with him in the building.