The Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has assured residents that the heaps of refuse currently seen across parts of the state will soon be cleared, following new measures to improve waste evacuation and disposal operations.
The Managing Director of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, gave the assurance on Wednesday during the commissioning of the rehabilitated Road E and newly constructed disposal platforms at the Olusosun Disposal Facility in Ojota.
Speaking at the event, Gbadegesin described the project as a strategic intervention aimed at improving access within the disposal facility, eliminating operational bottlenecks and boosting the efficiency of waste collection across Lagos.
He explained that the authority had already begun winding down activities at the Olusosun site as part of an 18-month transition plan, while reclaiming part of the facility to create additional space for waste disposal.
“We announced that we’re winding down activities at the site and that we have a timeline. If you recall, we said 18 months from the time that we did groundbreaking on construction of the transfer loading station,” he said.
According to him, the newly created disposal space will enable LAWMA to clear the backlog of waste that has accumulated on roads across the state.
“That’s what we’ve achieved, and so that all these waste backlogs on the roads, we’ll be able to clear them away because it’s not a good thing for us to have waste on our roads. By opening this place, we’ve created more space. Over the next few days there won’t be refuse on our roads,” Gbadegesin stated.
The LAWMA boss, however, stressed that keeping Lagos clean requires the cooperation of residents, noting that the government alone cannot solve the problem of indiscriminate waste disposal.
“Lagos will be free from dirt when Lagosians decide that Lagos will be free from dirt. It is collective. If everyone in Lagos decides today that there’s not going to be waste on the road again, then we won’t have a problem,” he said.
He criticised residents who dump refuse on roads and road medians instead of handing it over to their assigned Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators.
“Some people have decided that they will put their waste on the road, on the median, instead of giving it to the PSP operator. We’ve also said if you have any delay, reach out to LAWMA. If you have delay in your collection, call LAWMA directly,” he added.
Gbadegesin reaffirmed LAWMA’s commitment to improving waste management services across the state and urged residents to support the agency’s efforts by using approved PSP operators, paying for waste collection services promptly and avoiding indiscriminate dumping of refuse.
