By Ayomide Otitoju
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has announced a series of immediate and long-term measures to address challenges affecting waste collection and disposal across the state.
Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, made the move during an inspection of the Olusosun landfill in Ojota, where the state is constructing a Transfer Loading Station.
At a meeting with stakeholders in the waste management sector, the governor acknowledged the slow pace of municipal waste collection in recent weeks, attributing the situation partly to the inability of Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators to meet their obligations.
He declared a state of emergency on waste collection and disclosed that waste compaction was ongoing simultaneously at the Olusosun and Solous 3 dumpsites to improve their capacity and facilitate faster waste disposal.
The governor said fire incidents had previously slowed operations at the dumpsites but noted that work had resumed, with contractors clearing the sites for daily disposal.
According to him, the completion of the projects would enable each dumpsite to receive about 450 trucks of municipal waste daily, effectively doubling the capacity of PSP operators.
“At Olusosun dumpsite, we are planning with our development partners to build a 2,400-metric-tonne Transfer Loading Station that will receive compacted waste, which will in turn be transported to Material Recovery Facilities being built at the moment,” Sanwo-Olu said.
He added that a second Transfer Loading Station of similar capacity was being constructed at Solous 3 in Alimosho, with access road works expected to be completed within two to three weeks.
As part of the immediate measures, Sanwo-Olu directed the stabilisation and rehabilitation of access roads leading to five dumpsites, including those at Ewu Elepe and Oke Oso, to improve access and speed up waste collection.
He also disclosed that the state had procured 160 modern compactors to strengthen waste collection operations.
The governor said development partners working with the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) would provide additional compactors, while landfill compactors specifically designed for use at dumpsites would also be procured.
Sanwo-Olu further announced plans to strengthen the capacity of PSP operators, saying the existing fleet was inadequate for the size of Lagos.
He said PSP operators had agreed to review their operations and eliminate companies that lacked the capacity or willingness to invest in the sector.
The governor also said the state government would work with PSP operators to reduce the financial risks associated with purchasing additional trucks and prevent operators from becoming financially distressed.
For the medium and long term, Sanwo-Olu identified the construction of Transfer Loading Stations and Material Recovery Facilities as key components of the state’s waste management strategy.
He said two Material Recovery Facilities were being developed at Oke Oso in Epe and Erekiti in Badagry to facilitate the sorting and recycling of compacted waste.
The governor said physical infrastructure for the Transfer Loading Stations and Material Recovery Facilities would become visible before the end of the year, while the facilities were expected to be completed by the first or second quarter of the following year.
Sanwo-Olu also warned residents against indiscriminate waste disposal, directing the immediate prosecution of anyone caught dumping refuse at unauthorised locations.
He also criticised ineffective supervision within the waste management system and disclosed that LAWMA would undergo organisational reforms to improve its efficiency and strengthen oversight.
