Lagos Moves to Reintroduce Monthly Environmental Sanitation, Explains Why
- The Lagos state government has expressed plans to reintroduce monthly environmental sanitation to address rising waste challenges
- The leadership of LAWMA says Lagos generates up to 15,000 tonnes of waste daily but lacks sufficient collection capacity
- The state will procure 500 mobile tricycle compactors in 2026 and expand waste-to-wealth initiatives, in renewed efforts to tackle the waste crisis
The Lagos state government has announced plans to reintroduce monthly environmental sanitation exercises as part of renewed efforts to improve cleanliness and waste management across the state.
Source: Getty Images
The managingdirector and chief executive officer of the Lagos State Waste Management Agency (LAWMA), Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, disclosed this while speaking with journalists on Wednesday, December 17, according to the agency.
Dr Gbadegesin said the decision was driven by the growing waste challenge in Lagos, a city with over four million households that generates between 13,000 and 15,000 tonnes of waste daily.
PSP operators in Lagos inadequate
He noted that the existing capacity of Private Sector Partnership (PSP) operators remains inadequate.
According to him, PSP operators currently collect only between 4,000 and 5,000 tonnes of waste each day, leaving a large volume improperly disposed of in drains, canals, lagoons and wetlands.
He warned that indiscriminate dumping, especially on wetlands which make up about 12% of Lagos’ landmass, poses serious environmental and flooding risks.
Lagos requires 2,000 compactors
To address the shortfall, the LAWMA boss said the state would require at least 2,000 compactors for effective waste management.
He announced that the government plans to procure about 500 mobile tricycle compactors in 2026 to strengthen waste collection at the grassroots level.
Dr Gbadegesin urged residents to support the state’s waste-to-wealth initiative, stressing that nearly 90% of waste generated in Lagos has economic value if properly sorted and recycled.
He explained that Lagos is shifting away from a linear waste disposal system towards a more sustainable and environmentally friendly approach that treats waste as a resource and minimises landfill use.
The LAWMA chief identified infrastructure as the biggest challenge facing waste management, citing gaps across the entire logistics chain, from household bins to transportation, treatment and final disposal.
Lagos to roll out 80,000 smart waste bins
He disclosed that while about 80,000 smart waste bins are currently being rolled out, the number remains insufficient for a city of Lagos’s size. He appealed to residents to pay their waste bills regularly to enable PSP operators to function more efficiently.
On enforcement, Dr Gbadegesin revealed that 22 PSP operators had been disengaged for poor performance, with their routes reassigned.
He added that LAWMA would work closely with local government chairmen to strengthen waste management and regulate street trading at the community level.
Source: Getty Images
Lagos woos private partners
In a related development, the Lagos state commissioner for Housing, Mr Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, called on private partners working with the state to ensure timely delivery and high standards across housing projects.
Speaking at the commissioning of the Abraham Adesanya Housing Estate, Akinderu-Fatai said the handover of 233 housing units, delivered through a public-private partnership with Urban Shelter Limited, demonstrated the state’s commitment to expanding access to decent housing.
He explained that the project, which began in 2019, was designed to maximise land use and infrastructure while delivering homes for different income categories.
He praised Urban Shelter and the Ministry of Housing team for maintaining quality and professionalism.
The Lagos State Government said it has delivered about 11,000 housing units for low-, middle- and high-income earners over the past six years, including 420 apartment units recently completed in Ajara, Badagry.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, through his administration’s T.H.E.M.E.S+ Agenda, has continued to encourage private-sector participation by providing land as equity, tax incentives and approval rebates to speed up housing delivery.
However, the government warned that joint-venture projects that fail to meet agreed timelines or standards are under review and may face revocation.
LAWMA urges residents to report indiscriminate refuse disposal
Legit.ng earlier reported that LAWMA called on the public to help identify individuals dumping refuse indiscriminately.
Despite ongoing sensitisation efforts, an offender was seen in a video reportedly engaging in this unlawful act repeatedly over recent months.
LAWMA at the time offered a small reward for credible information that led to the suspect’s apprehension or helped expose other offenders engaging in indiscriminate waste disposal.
Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
