Urban renewal: Lagos to transform Olusosun Landfill

 
The Lagos State Government has proposed a paradigm shift in the approach to environmental waste management filled with radical reforms and projects coming up in the near future.
Olusosun landfill that has been a dumping ground for years will soon become a model for urban renewal and waste to wealth initiatives being undertaken by the State.
Speaking at a press conference announcing the launch of the CLEANER LAGOS INITIATIVE, the Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare stressed the Government’s commitment to finding renewable energy sources for the grossly underserved State.
He noted that five new power stations – one in each division in the state – will be built to generate electricity from waste, and that the numerous dumpsites dotting parts of the state will soon be a thing of the past.
“We are serious about meeting Lagos’ electricity needs because power is the key to economic freedom, we have shown in the past that renewable energy projects can work in Lagos with the use of solar energy but we have only just begun. We must harness expertise from the private sector and utility partners to work with us as we move towards a cleaner, healthier and sustainable Lagos.”
He added regarding the closure/post-closure plans for landfills across the State “We will close down Olusosun and Solus (dumpsites)  sometime next year. Dumpsites are dangerous to health and the environment. The leachate and gas to be recovered from the proposed sanitary landfills will be put to good use.
“We plan to regenerate Olusosun and turn it into a park, where intercity buses will end their journey and would no longer be allowed to enter into the city. Passengers will from here now take taxis and intra-city buses to their destinations in town.