LAWMA unveils major reforms to end Lagos waste crisis

By Fabian Ekeruche

The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) says it is implementing sweeping infrastructure, regulatory and operational reforms to end persistent waste backlog and improve environmental sanitation across the state.

The Managing Director of LAWMA, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, disclosed this during a live interview on Lagos Traffic Radio’s Talk Time programme on Saturday.

Gbadegesin attributed the recent resurgence of waste on roads and inner streets to ageing landfill facilities, rising waste generation, heavy rainfall and inadequate waste disposal infrastructure.

He said Lagos currently generated between 13,000 and 15,000 tonnes of waste daily, driven by its estimated 22 million population.

“The challenge is not just population growth. Two of our major disposal sites, Olusosun and Solous III, have reached the end of their operational lives.

“We are now carrying out end-of-life operations while transitioning to a more modern waste management system,” he said.

He said conventional dumpsites were no longer sustainable because of Lagos’ coastal terrain, limited land availability and growing urban population.

According to him, the state is replacing landfills with Transfer Loading Stations, Material Recovery Facilities and waste-to-energy plants.

He said transfer loading stations under construction at Olusosun and Solous would each receive thousands of tonnes of waste daily before transporting them to modern processing facilities.

Gbadegesin said the Olusosun facility alone would handle 2,500 tonnes of waste daily, while a material recovery facility under construction in Ikorodu would mechanically recover about 90 per cent of incoming waste.

“The organic fraction will become compost or energy, plastics will be recycled into products such as waste bins, while only a small residual fraction will end up in engineered landfills,” he said.

He disclosed that the projects would create about 5,000 direct jobs and were expected to become operational during the first quarter of 2027.

The managing director said LAWMA had also begun deploying waste-to-energy technologies, including biodigesters converting market waste into biogas for electricity generation and cooking gas.

He cited the recently commissioned biodigester at the Ikoyi Fruit Market, where organic waste from fruits was being converted into renewable energy.

Gbadegesin identified poor public compliance with waste management regulations as another major obstacle confronting effective sanitation in Lagos.

He said every household was legally required to maintain waste bins and subscribe to licensed Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators for regular waste collection.

“A significant number of residents are not complying.

“When residents refuse to pay PSP operators, operators struggle financially and service delivery suffers. It becomes a vicious cycle,” he said.

He urged residents not to dump refuse on roadsides whenever PSP operators delayed collections.

“If your PSP operator fails to collect your waste, contact LAWMA immediately. Do not resort to illegal dumping.

“We provide backup services and target a 48-hour response time for complaints,” he said.

Responding to callers’ complaints about delayed waste evacuation in areas including Ogba, Magodo and Osi, Gbadegesin assured residents that LAWMA would investigate erring operators and deploy backup trucks where necessary.

He disclosed that LAWMA monitored the performance of all licensed PSP operators monthly and sanctioned defaulters through warning letters and possible licence withdrawal.

“We have a performance matrix.

“Operators that consistently fail to meet service standards receive warnings and can ultimately lose their operating licenses,” he said.

On enforcement, the LAWMA chief described indiscriminate waste dumping as “an act of sabotage” because of its impact on flooding, traffic congestion and public infrastructure.

He said the authority had strengthened surveillance through its Project WISE (Waste Investigation, Surveillance and Enforcement) initiative.

According to him, undercover enforcement teams monitor illegal dumping locations, apprehend offenders and prosecute them before environmental courts.

“We have secured thousands of convictions.

“Some offenders have served jail terms, while others perform community service by cleaning illegal dump sites,” he said.

He added that LAWMA was collaborating with the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and the House of Assembly to review environmental laws and introduce stiffer penalties.

Gbadegesin said the authority was intensifying behavioural change campaigns through the LAWMA Academy, established to educate pupils, students and young people on recycling, circular economy and responsible waste management.

“We want environmental education embedded in school curricula because sustainable waste management begins with behavioural change,” he said.

The managing director said LAWMA was also working closely with the state’s 57 local governments and local council development areas to strengthen community ownership of sanitation.

He explained that local waste management task forces comprising community leaders, environmental officers and PSP operators had been established to tackle sanitation challenges at the grassroots.

Gbadegesin said LAWMA was expanding a tricycle-based door-to-door waste collection model in communities inaccessible to compactor trucks.

He said the initiative, already operating successfully in Ibeju-Lekki and Lagos Island, allowed residents to pay per collection while improving service delivery.

He also announced plans for community recycling centres where residents would exchange recyclable materials for cash.

He estimated that recyclable materials generated annually in Lagos were worth about $2.5 billion, describing waste as a major economic resource.

He said the authority had received 10 additional compactor trucks from the Lagos State Lottery Board and expected about 150 more trucks before the end of the year.

He, however, noted that Lagos required about 2,000 compactor trucks for efficient statewide waste collection.

“We are still below half of what Lagos requires, but government is investing heavily to close the gap,” he said.

Gbadegesin disclosed that LAWMA was constructing or rehabilitating seven transfer loading stations, including facilities at Olusosun, Solous, Ikorodu, Iberekodo, Ijegun, Agege and Oshodi.

He said the state would ultimately require about 20 transfer loading stations under its three-year waste infrastructure development plan.

On environmental sanitation exercises, Gbadegesin advised residents to bag waste removed from drainage channels and notify LAWMA or local authorities for prompt evacuation.

He warned PSP operators against sorting waste on residential streets, describing the practice as unacceptable and contrary to operational guidelines.

The LAWMA chief assured residents that ongoing rehabilitation of landfill access roads and new infrastructure projects would significantly improve waste evacuation.

“You should begin to see noticeable improvements within the next few weeks.

“By August, when rainfall reduces, the situation will improve further.

“Before December, Lagosians should expect a cleaner environment and a cleaner festive season,” he said.

(NAN)