• Kinshasa authorities said the city is negotiating a new waste management partnership with Averda.
• Technical studies are set to begin on Jan. 7 ahead of work expected in coming weeks.
• The move revives a failed 2017 contract that stalled over financial guarantees and equipment delivery.

Lebanese waste management company Averda is moving toward a partnership with the city-province of Kinshasa to improve waste management in the Congolese capital, which has faced chronic sanitation problems for decades.

Kinshasa Governor Daniel Bumba met Averda executives on Jan. 6, 2026, alongside provincial sanitation officials.

The governor’s office said the meeting aimed to lay the groundwork for a partnership designed to reduce persistent urban waste and improve living conditions for residents.

The governor’s office said technical studies are due to begin on Jan. 7, 2026, ahead of the effective launch of works in the coming weeks.

The initiative forms part of the “Kinshasa Ezo Bonga” (“Kinshasa Is Changing”) program, which the provincial executive is implementing to modernize urban services and strengthen local governance.

Return after failed 2017 contract

The project marks a renewed attempt at cooperation between Kinshasa and Averda following an earlier contract signed in 2017 that produced no tangible results.

The previous partnership collapsed over an administrative dispute.

Averda requested financial guarantees and an advance payment, while the provincial government awaited the delivery of equipment promised to start operations.

Averda, which was founded in 1964 and is headquartered in Dubai, presents itself as one of the leading waste management and recycling companies in emerging markets.

The group said it serves more than 60,000 public- and private-sector clients, ranging from small and medium-sized enterprises to large institutions.

Averda said its activities include household waste collection, street cleaning, waste sorting and recycling, composting, and the secure disposal of hazardous waste, including strictly regulated medical and chemical waste.

The company operates across Gulf countries and several African markets, including the Republic of Congo, Gabon, Angola, South Africa, and Morocco.

This article was initially published in French by Ronsard Luabeya

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum