The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has intensified its crackdown on indiscriminate waste disposal across Lagos State, adopting a dual strategy of strict enforcement and innovative waste management solutions to ensure a cleaner environment.
The agency reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing environmental laws, prosecuting offenders, and sustaining effective waste collection measures.
Speaking on Lagos Talks 91.3 FM with The Guru, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, disclosed that surveillance and enforcement teams were operating round the clock to track and apprehend those violating waste management regulations.
“Currently, we have about 50 cases in court involving individuals apprehended for illegal waste dumping. Our enforcement team, working in partnership with the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), has stepped up monitoring efforts to ensure offenders are prosecuted,” Gbadegesin stated.
He revealed that over 300 illegal waste carts had been seized and marked for destruction, noting that investigations showed that many offenders were either newcomers to Lagos or deliberately flouting the law.
“We are taking a firm stance against this trend. Our surveillance teams work both day and night to catch perpetrators in the act. Laws exist to be followed and enforced, and that’s the government’s responsibility to ensure a peaceful and clean environment,” he added.
Innovative Waste Management Initiatives
Gbadegesin highlighted LAWMA’s ongoing innovations aimed at reducing dependence on landfills, including the expansion of the Waste-to-Wealth and Circular Economy initiatives.
“We started to ask ourselves, are these things we are throwing away truly waste, or can we derive value from them? Now, we have a glass recycling plant in Lagos, and people are beginning to see the economic potential in materials like PET bottles,” he explained.
To improve waste collection in difficult-to-access areas, LAWMA introduced tricycle compactors in locations such as Ibeju Lekki, with plans to expand the scheme to other parts of Lagos in the coming weeks. Gbadegesin noted that the initiative, which would operate on a “pay-as-you-go” model, is aimed at improving collection efficiency in areas where larger compactors face challenges due to poor road conditions.
Marine and Medical Waste Management
Gbadegesin also disclosed that LAWMA’s marine waste team continues to conduct daily waste collection along the coastline, lagoons, and drainage channels, particularly at Five Cowries Creek.
The agency has also expanded its advanced medical waste management system to cover not only hospitals but also hairdressers and beauticians who generate human tissue waste.
Public Responsibility and Compliance
Reaffirming LAWMA’s zero-tolerance policy on environmental violations, Gbadegesin stressed that maintaining a cleaner and healthier Lagos requires the active participation of all residents.
“Every Lagos resident has a role to play — from disposing of waste properly through accredited PSP operators and cleaning gutters in front of their houses to sorting waste at the source,” he said.
He urged residents to comply with waste disposal regulations and report any issues with collection services directly to LAWMA rather than resorting to illegal dumping.
LAWMA remains steadfast in its mission to create a cleaner Lagos through innovative waste management solutions and strict enforcement of environmental laws.
