23rd February, 2018
The Lagos State Commissioner for Environment, Dr Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti, says the Private Sector Participant (PSP) operators have embraced the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI).
Durosinmi-Etti said in statement on Friday in Lagos that an agreement was reached during a meeting between officials of the Lagos State Government, Visionscape Sanitation Solutions and Waste Collection Operators (WCOs), also known as PSP operators.
He said that the differences which gave rise to emergence of refuse across Lagos State over the implementation of a new waste management policy encapsulated in CLI had been resolved.
According to him, all the key players agree to collaborate, in order to ensure cleaner, prosperous and healthier environment in the state.
The commissioner said that government was interested in easing challenges presently being experienced in waste management, by creating synergy between Visionscape and the WCOs in their spheres of operations.
He said that resolving the challenge in a mutually beneficial manner is the best approach.
”Government, more than ever, believes in this partnership, and that is why it has not only provided a facility of up to N2.5 billion with State Government guarantee, which PSP operators could access to upscale their operations.
”Government has also opened another channel through the Employment Trust Fund for loan facilities at reasonable interest of not more than 12 per cent per annum.
”The Lagos State Government is determined to remove all bottlenecks hindering seamless waste disposal operations,” he said.
Durosinmi-Etti said that government was making the bold move of targeting a turn-around time of thirty minutes at the dumpsites by encouraging concerned stakeholders to create additional platform at the sites.
He said that no effort would be spared to return the dump sites to sanity by reducing the menace of indiscriminately parked trucks and scavengers, both of which add to the loss of time at the dump sites.
The Chief Executive Officer, Visionscape Sanitation Solution, Mr John Irvine, said he was delighted with the understanding reached between the company and the WCOs.
Irvine said that the challenges being experienced in domestic waste management in Lagos State had to do with the fact that Visionscape was just in its first cycle of operation, hence, must contend with some teething problems.
”It is not unusual to face this kind of problems, especially in the first cycle of operations. It takes some time to build the superstructures and to ameliorate the present hiccups.
”We are buying locally and taking steps to have waste container bins manufactured locally,” he said.
On behalf of the WCOs, Mr Kasumu Olasehinde reiterated their commitment to the success of the Cleaner Lagos Initiative.
Olasehinde said the WCOs would roll out more trucks to rid Lagos of waste black spots.
”To show our total commitment to a cleaner, healthier and safer Lagos, we have resolved to work with the Government of Lagos State and the domestic waste operator.
”We have also resolved to commence free operations every Thursdays to mop up black spots in our respective areas,” he said.
It was agreed at the meeting that a seamless process should be put in place on how Visionscape and the PSPs will partner on the door-to-door collection of waste from March 1.
It was also agreed that Visionscape would take the PSPs on a tour of the Epe Landfill, the first engineered landfill in West Africa.
The meeting agreed to set up a committee comprising all the stakeholders to ensure smooth operations of the project.