Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has declared what he described as a “small state of emergency” on waste management, ordering immediate measures to tackle refuse accumulation and improve waste collection across the metropolis.
Sanwo-Olu announced the intervention on Wednesday during an inspection of the Olusosun dumpsite, where he acknowledged growing pressure on the state’s waste management system and the increasing incidence of indiscriminate dumping.
The Governor said the state would immediately expand the capacity of Olusosun and other dumpsites, deploy additional equipment and activate more waste-receiving locations to reduce the time trucks spend waiting to discharge refuse.
According to him, Olusosun currently receives between 220 and 250 waste trucks daily, but the target is to increase the capacity to between 350 and 450 trucks by expanding the number of tipping points from two or three to four or five.
He listed Solous 3 in Alimosho, Ewu Elepe in Ikorodu, Oke Osho in Epe and Erekiti in Badagry among the facilities to be activated or upgraded within the next 30 to 60 days.
Sanwo-Olu said the move would improve the turnaround time of waste trucks and enable operators to collect more refuse from homes and roads.
He also said the state had ordered 160 new compactor trucks, which would begin arriving soon, while plans were underway to procure landfill compactors.
The Governor further announced plans to establish two 2,400-metric-tonne transfer loading stations at Olusosun and Solous 3.
The facilities will receive compacted waste for onward transportation to material recovery facilities being developed in Epe and Erekiti, Badagry.
He said the projects involved tens of millions of dollars in investment and were expected to begin coming on stream between the first and third quarters of next year.
On the operations of private sector participation, PSP, operators, Sanwo-Olu said the association had agreed to review its membership and remove operators who lacked the capacity or commitment to provide effective services.
He said the exercise would create opportunities for new investors while ensuring that only capable operators remained in the waste management system.
The Governor also urged residents to pay for waste collection services, stressing that residents should not expect operators to provide services without payment.
At the same time, he warned against indiscriminate dumping, saying the government would intensify enforcement against offenders.
Sanwo-Olu said environmental officers would monitor both residents and PSP operators, with offenders liable to prosecution before mobile and public courts.
He said residents could not use the failure of a PSP operator to collect waste within 24 hours as justification for dumping refuse on roads, highways or drainage channels.
LAWMA to undergo restructuring
The Governor stressed that LAWMA must become more operationally responsive.
He acknowledged the government’s responsibility for addressing the current challenges but noted that Lagos’ rapid population growth was putting additional pressure on existing waste infrastructure.
Sanwo-Olu stressed that tackling the crisis required a collective effort involving government, residents and waste operators.
He assured Lagosians that the state would continue to monitor the situation and implement measures aimed at restoring a cleaner, more efficient and sustainable waste management system across Lagos.
