Scavenging is an emergent enterprise that not only provides employment for the teeming youth population, it equally generates wealth and in both latent and manifest ways aid urban expansion and transformation. The paper seeks to discuss the contributions of scavenging as an aspect of informal economy on urban transformation and growth. The pool of existing literature on waste to wealth/scavenging has neglected its role on urbanization. By employing qualitative approach using historical research method data for the study is obtained from both primary and secondary sources. Available literature and oral interview with twenty five scavengers across the town provides data sources. The research will assist in understanding the contribution of scavengers to the economy especially as it affects urban growth. It will contribute to the pool of literature on urbanization, scavenging and informal economy. Finally, the thesis will aid policymakers to formalise scavenging as an emergent and important aspect of the economy in the society.

Keywords : Scavenging, Waste, Emerging Enterprise, Urban Development, Minna Town.