By KosofePost Reporter
The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has assured residents that ongoing waste collection challenges across the state will be significantly reduced within the next six to eight months as the government expands waste management infrastructure.
The Managing Director of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, gave the assurance on Saturday during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise in Badagry.
Gbadegesin dismissed reports suggesting that local governments were taking over the state’s waste management responsibilities through independent waste collection initiatives.
“That is not true. The local governments are partners. They are assisting the Lagos Waste Management Authority in various ways,” he said.
According to him, local councils are procuring two compactor trucks each, while the Lagos State Government is also acquiring additional trucks to strengthen waste collection and improve service delivery across the state.
He attributed the current delays in refuse collection to Lagos’ growing population and the increasing volume of waste generated daily.
To address the challenge, Gbadegesin said the state government had commenced the development of additional waste management infrastructure, including new disposal facilities, transfer loading stations and material recovery facilities.
He disclosed that work was ongoing at the Olusosun facility, while a major material recovery facility would also be established in Badagry to promote recycling and resource recovery.
“It is not a dump site. It is a material recovery facility that will allow us to treat waste safely and extract valuable components for revenue generation,” he explained.
Gbadegesin also attributed recent disruptions in waste evacuation to flooding around the Olusosun dumpsite, noting that heavy rainfall had made access roads impassable for refuse trucks.
“That will become a thing of the past by Tuesday when we reopen another section for trucks to dump waste,” he said.
He explained that only about 30 to 40 percent of Private Sector Participant (PSP) operators had been affected by the disruption, while many others continued operations through satellite disposal sites in Epe, Ikorodu and Badagry.
Expressing optimism that services would improve within days, the LAWMA boss urged residents to properly store their refuse, avoid dumping waste on roadsides during collection delays, and promptly pay PSP operators to support efficient service delivery.
“Waste management is a collective exercise. We must all be involved,” he said.
He also encouraged residents to report service failures through LAWMA’s customer service channels for prompt intervention.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State APC deputy governorship candidate, Princess Damilola James, called on residents to embrace regular environmental sanitation during a community cleanup exercise in Vetho Ajara, Badagry.
She stressed the importance of keeping drainage channels free of debris, particularly during the rainy season, to reduce flooding and improve public health.
“It’s important for us to clean our environment, especially at this season where there is rain, to ensure that all the debris is packed even before the rain begins,” she said.
James urged residents to maintain cleanliness beyond the state’s monthly sanitation exercise, describing environmental hygiene as a shared civic responsibility.
“It builds community bond, and it helps to have that community unity when we clean our environment and take responsibility for it together,” she added.
She also commended the Lagos environmental authorities for enforcing sanitation regulations and expressed confidence that the state’s environmental sustainability efforts would continue in the years ahead.