About Us

Our Story , Mission, Goals

Who We Are

Environmental Checkers Limited (ECL) is an indigenous company registered in the Federal Republic of Nigeria under the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020. Our mission is to improve public health and promote quality living through our cleaning services.
Our 3-R primary objectives are:

Recycle Waste

The unfolding reality is mega-cities – notably in the global south – are experiencing poverty-driven urbanisation characterised by socio-economic survival strategies and growing informal sectors. Arguably, given its deep historical roots the phenomena is not new. However, new waves of informalisation are emerging with people relying on livelihoods beyond the purview of state regulation. Research conducted in one global south city showed the waste collection rate was between 50% and 80%, with informal services ranking high in refuse collection from some areas.

Backed by local and international professionals with wide-ranging skills, ECL’s functional areas include climate change adaptation/mitigation solutions, waste management, sanitation, and public sensitisation through raising awareness.

Our strategy is underpinned by the SMART concept:

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Relevant

Time-based

One striking aspect of the global drive toward sustainable development is the extent to which the agenda has evolved since the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Presently, there are fervent efforts to merge environmental with economic performance at the local, national, regional, and global levels to create more value for businesses and crucially, for communities – with less negative externalities.

Unequivocally, Nigeria is facing many human development and natural resource management challenges. At ECL, we are convinced that to turn some of these challenges into opportunities for competitive advantage now requires a rethink of previously held assumptions.

Our Sustainable Development Goals

Whilst environmental considerations must reflect in economic and developmental decisions, in turn, ecological decisions must be part of socio-economic development. Hence, ECL’s mission and vision are well-aligned and consistent with a list of goals enshrined in the SDGs:

To improve sanitation and public health, as well as quality living standards.
To proffer meaningful adaptation/mitigation solutions for tackling climate change.
To help raise the level of public awareness and manage waste through best practices.

The Genesis of Environmental Checkers Limited

Born out of her passion for a clean environment, Mrs Catherine Okoi is the General Manager/Overseer (GM/O) of Environmental Checkers Limited. In 2018 the Okoi family moved into an Estate in the Lokogoma area of Abuja. Besides exceedingly poor roads and substandard drainage, the Estate had no organised domestic waste disposal plan or system. Hence, residents of the Estate resorted to indiscriminate disposal of their household wastes. Over time, the waste accumulated became a nuisance and posed health risks. During the rainy season, filth washed downward of the Estate.

Despite Mrs Okoi’s repeated appeals each Saturday to the residents that they clean their environment, her pleas met with inertia. Whilst one resident complained that he could not afford to contribute financially to the cleanup exercise, closer examination revealed that residents felt it was the Estate Management’s duty to keep the Estate clean, given that they – the residents – were paying maintenance fees.

Hon. Martins U. Okoi (Rtd.)

ECL Chairman and former Justice High Court of The Gambia.

Mrs. Catherine Okoi (M.Phil)

ECL Founder

With residents and the Estate’s Management at a deadlock; days rolled into weeks, and months. In the end, Mrs Okoi could no longer bear the ugly sight nor stench from rotting domestic waste. Committed to cleaning up the Estate, she galvanised young men and from her pocket paid them for their services. Her husband – a retired Judge and current ECL Chairman – asked her a thought-provoking question, ‘for how long will you continue like this?’ Instead of paying these people on an ad-hoc basis to clean the Estate, why not incorporate an environmental company, and approach the relevant government agencies to give you a contract to clean these places? Through this approach, alongside keeping the environment clean, you would also create employment. Mrs. Okoi was receptive to the idea and embraced her husband’s suggestion.

Given her habit of going round to check the environment and to ensure that residents of the Estate were responsive to their civic duties by maintaining a clean environment, the name Environmental Checkers was adopted. Today, ECL is duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Federal Republic of Nigeria under the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020.