The Lagos Waste Management Authority says it has begun major infrastructure, enforcement and operational reforms to address waste backlog and improve sanitation across Lagos State.
Managing Director of LAWMA, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, disclosed this during a live interview on Lagos Traffic Radio’s Talk Time programme.
Gbadegesin said the recent buildup of refuse on roads and inner streets was caused by several factors, including ageing landfill sites, increased waste generation, heavy rainfall and inadequate disposal infrastructure.
He said Lagos currently produces between 13,000 and 15,000 tonnes of waste daily because of its estimated population of about 22 million people.
According to him, two major disposal sites, Olusosun and Solous III, have reached the end of their operational lifespan.
He said the state is now carrying out end-of-life operations at the sites while moving toward a more modern waste management model.
Gbadegesin explained that traditional dumpsites are no longer sustainable for Lagos because of limited land, coastal conditions and rapid urban growth.
He said the state is replacing landfill dependence with Transfer Loading Stations, Material Recovery Facilities and waste-to-energy plants.
The LAWMA boss said transfer loading stations under construction at Olusosun and Solous would receive large volumes of waste daily before moving them to modern processing facilities.
He said the Olusosun facility alone would be able to handle about 2,500 tonnes of waste per day.
Gbadegesin added that a material recovery facility being built in Ikorodu would mechanically recover about 90 per cent of incoming waste.
According to him, organic waste would be converted into compost or energy, while plastics would be recycled into useful products such as waste bins.
He said only a small portion of residual waste would eventually be sent to engineered landfills.
The projects are expected to create about 5,000 direct jobs and become operational in the first quarter of 2027.
Gbadegesin also said LAWMA had started deploying waste-to-energy technologies, including biodigesters that convert market waste into biogas for electricity and cooking gas.
He cited the biodigester recently commissioned at the Ikoyi Fruit Market as an example of how organic waste can be turned into renewable energy.
The LAWMA managing director identified poor compliance with waste regulations as another major challenge affecting sanitation in Lagos.
He said every household is required by law to own waste bins and subscribe to licensed Private Sector Participation operators for regular waste collection.
Gbadegesin said some residents refuse to pay PSP operators, making it difficult for the operators to provide consistent service.
He urged residents not to dump refuse on roadsides when collection is delayed.
According to him, residents should report defaulting PSP operators to LAWMA so that backup services can be deployed.
He said LAWMA targets a 48-hour response time for complaints.
Responding to complaints from areas such as Ogba, Magodo and Osi, Gbadegesin said LAWMA would investigate affected operators and send backup trucks where necessary.
He disclosed that LAWMA monitors the performance of licensed PSP operators every month.
Operators who fail to meet service standards are issued warnings and may eventually lose their licences.
On enforcement, Gbadegesin described illegal dumping as an act of sabotage because it contributes to flooding, traffic disruption and damage to public infrastructure.
He said LAWMA had strengthened monitoring through Project WISE, which stands for Waste Investigation, Surveillance and Enforcement.
Through the initiative, undercover enforcement teams monitor illegal dump sites, arrest offenders and prosecute them before environmental courts.
Gbadegesin said thousands of convictions had been secured, with some offenders jailed and others ordered to carry out community service by cleaning illegal dumpsites.
He added that LAWMA is working with the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and the Lagos State House of Assembly to review environmental laws and introduce tougher penalties.
The agency is also expanding public education through the LAWMA Academy.
Gbadegesin said the academy teaches pupils, students and young people about recycling, circular economy and responsible waste disposal.
He said LAWMA wants environmental education included in school curricula because lasting sanitation improvement depends on behavioural change.
The agency is also working with the 57 local governments and local council development areas in Lagos to strengthen community participation in waste management.
Gbadegesin said local waste management task forces made up of community leaders, environmental officers and PSP operators had been set up to address sanitation issues at the grassroots.
LAWMA is also expanding a tricycle-based door-to-door waste collection model in communities where compactor trucks cannot easily operate.
The model, already in use in Ibeju-Lekki and Lagos Island, allows residents to pay per collection while improving access to waste services.
Gbadegesin also announced plans to create community recycling centres where residents can exchange recyclable materials for cash.
He estimated that recyclable materials generated yearly in Lagos are worth about $2.5 billion, describing waste as a major economic resource.
The LAWMA boss said the agency had received 10 additional compactor trucks from the Lagos State Lottery Board.
He added that about 150 more trucks were expected before the end of the year.
However, he noted that Lagos needs about 2,000 compactor trucks for efficient waste collection across the state.
Gbadegesin said LAWMA is constructing or rehabilitating seven transfer loading stations at Olusosun, Solous, Ikorodu, Iberekodo, Ijegun, Agege and Oshodi.
He said Lagos would eventually need about 20 transfer loading stations under its three-year waste infrastructure development plan.
On environmental sanitation, he advised residents to bag waste removed from drainage channels and contact LAWMA or local authorities for evacuation.
He also warned PSP operators against sorting waste on residential streets, saying the practice violates operational guidelines.
Gbadegesin assured residents that the ongoing rehabilitation of landfill access roads and the new infrastructure projects would improve waste evacuation.
He said Lagos residents should begin to notice improvements in the coming weeks, with further progress expected as rainfall reduces.
According to him, the government is working to ensure that Lagos records a cleaner environment before the December festive season.
