The African Democratic Congress, ADC, House of Assembly candidate for Eti-Osa Constituency II, Ayodele Adio, has criticised the Lagos State Government over what he described as the worsening waste management situation across the state.
Adio’s reaction followed comments attributed to the Lagos State Deputy Governor, who reportedly said waste management operators were handling a volume of refuse beyond what they had initially anticipated.
The ADC candidate questioned how the state could have failed to adequately project its waste generation despite years of population growth, rapid urbanisation and expanding commercial activities.
He argued that waste generation should not come as a surprise to a government responsible for managing one of Africa’s most populous cities.
“After more than two decades of successive administrations, how can a government responsible for managing one of the largest and most densely populated cities in Africa say it did not predict the scale of the waste it would have to manage?” Adio asked.
According to him, factors such as population increase, urban expansion, commercial activity and changing consumption patterns provide sufficient data for authorities to anticipate and plan for rising volumes of waste.
He said the Deputy Governor’s remarks exposed what he described as shortcomings in long-term planning and governance.
“Waste generation is not an unpredictable phenomenon. Population growth, urbanisation, commercial activity and consumption patterns are measurable. A serious government should be planning ahead of these realities, not discovering them after the streets and neighbourhoods are overwhelmed by refuse,” he said.
Adio also rejected comparisons between Lagos and other African cities as justification for the state’s waste management difficulties.
He maintained that Lagos should seek to establish best practices that other cities could emulate rather than use challenges elsewhere to explain its own shortcomings.
“If you go around Africa and see disorganisation, that should not become an excuse for Lagos to accept the same. Lagos should be the city other African cities are studying for solutions, not a government constantly explaining why it cannot solve problems that are within its capacity to solve,” he said.
The ADC candidate described the waste situation as part of a broader governance challenge, arguing that the rapid growth of Lagos required a corresponding transformation in the way infrastructure and public services were planned and managed.
“The problem is not just waste. The problem is a government that appears to have run out of fresh ideas.
“We are dealing with a city that has grown dramatically in population, economic activity and physical expansion, yet the government continues to approach today’s challenges with yesterday’s thinking,” Adio said.
He called for a comprehensive review of the state’s waste management framework, including better data collection, modern collection systems, stronger enforcement and increased investment in recycling and waste-to-energy initiatives.
Adio also advocated the formal integration of informal waste recyclers into a regulated system, saying their activities could contribute positively to the management and recycling of waste if properly organised.
He maintained that Lagos possesses the financial and human resources required to tackle the problem but needs stronger accountability, innovative policies and a willingness to reform systems that no longer adequately serve the state’s growing population.
“Lagos does not lack money or human capacity. What we lack is sufficient imagination, accountability and the willingness to redesign systems that are no longer fit for purpose,” he said.
ADC candidate, Adio faults Lagos govt over waste management crisis