LAWMA assures Lagos residents of improved waste collection within eight months

The Lagos Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, has assured residents that the current challenges affecting waste collection across the state will be significantly reduced within the next six to eight months.

The Managing Director of LAWMA, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, gave the assurance on Saturday during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise held in Badagry.

Gbadegesin dismissed reports suggesting that local government councils were taking over the agency’s waste management responsibilities through separate waste collection arrangements.

He explained that the councils remain partners of LAWMA and are supporting the agency’s operations in different capacities.

According to him, each local government is in the process of acquiring two compactor trucks, while the Lagos State Government is also procuring additional waste collection vehicles to improve service delivery across the state.

Gbadegesin attributed the current delays in refuse collection to the rapid growth in Lagos’ population and the corresponding increase in the volume of waste generated daily.

He noted that the state government was investing in the expansion of waste management infrastructure to address the growing demand.

According to him, the construction of new waste disposal facilities has already commenced, with ongoing work at the Olusosun site, alongside the development of transfer loading stations and material recovery facilities.

He added that Badagry would also host a major material recovery facility designed to promote recycling and resource recovery.

Gbadegesin explained that the proposed facility would not serve as a dumpsite but would process waste safely while recovering recyclable materials capable of generating revenue.

The LAWMA boss attributed recent operational setbacks to flooding around the Olusosun dumpsite, noting that heavy rainfall had made access roads difficult for refuse trucks.

He, however, expressed optimism that the situation would improve once an alternative section of the facility was reopened for waste disposal.

Gbadegesin said only about 30 to 40 per cent of Private Sector Participant l, PSP, operators had been affected by the disruption, explaining that many operators had continued operations by using satellite disposal sites in Epe, Ikorodu and Badagry.

He expressed confidence that residents would begin to notice improvements in waste collection before the end of the week.

The LAWMA managing director urged residents to store their waste properly and pay PSP operators promptly to support efficient waste management services.

He stressed that effective waste management requires the collective participation of both government and residents.

Gbadegesin also advised residents against dumping refuse along roadsides during temporary delays in collection and encouraged them to report service failures through LAWMA’s customer service channels to enable swift intervention.

LAWMA assures Lagos residents of improved waste collection within eight months