Babajide Fadoju …
The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has intensified its waste evacuation efforts across the State, clearing several environmental blackspots and restoring dignity to public spaces through a coordinated sanitation campaign that has touched every corridor of the metropolis. From the walkways along Maryland to the busy arteries of Airport Road, from Idimu Road to the Lekki–Epe Expressway, LAWMA’s sanitation crews have been deployed in a comprehensive operation that has seen the clearance of refuse at Apongbon Street, BOC Gas axis on Oshodi Expressway, the taxi park along outward Airport Road, and the Obalende bin location. The campaign, which began with targeted interventions across the State, has now evolved into a sustained exercise aimed at eliminating the environmental degradation that had taken hold in several communities.
Speaking on the ongoing interventions, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, acknowledged the operational challenges affecting waste evacuation in some parts of the State, assuring residents that the government was actively implementing immediate, medium-term, and long-term solutions to improve service delivery. He noted that recent operational pressures were partly linked to challenges associated with access to disposal facilities, particularly during the peak of the rainy season, and disclosed that LAWMA’s waste-to-wealth partner, ZoomLion Nigeria Limited, had commenced preliminary works to stabilise and reopen Road E at the Olusosun facility, a critical intervention expected to improve access, reduce turnaround time, and enhance operational efficiency at the site.
Dr. Gbadegesin further stated that the Authority had resuscitated and optimised the use of Transfer Loading Stations (TLSs) across the State as a stop-gap measure to facilitate quicker evacuation of waste from communities while ongoing infrastructure improvements continued. He said that the government was also taking steps to support the acquisition of additional waste collection vehicles by PSP operators, with the expected deployment of 100 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) compactor trucks set to significantly boost waste evacuation capacity across Lagos, while 10 new compactor trucks donated by the Lagos State Lottery and Gaming Board had already been deployed to strengthen waste collection operations. The government had also intensified enforcement against indiscriminate waste disposal and other environmental infractions, while recently constituting a coordinated Waste Police initiative involving key stakeholders, including transport unions and community groups, to strengthen environmental compliance and discourage illegal dumping.
The impact of these measures is already visible across the State. In the Central I Region, along the Oshodi route, LAWMA deployed Fleet M003 with Operator Mr. Fafiyebi, Supervisor Mrs. Deborah, and Area Manager Mr. Habeeb, with clearance operations extending to the Arena bin location, and additional support trucks requested to achieve more trips. Other locations cleared include the Maryland walkway, UBA Pharmacy bus stop in Awoyaya, Idimu Road by Palace to Kd Bread, Airport Road stretches opposite GT Bank, First Bank and CCL Company, Hotel ibis Royale, the 5Star First Spot, the Lekki–Epe Expressway from Crown Estate through Peace Garden and Awoyaya to Eleko, Raji Oba Junction, and the Sangotedo Shoprite to LBS corridor. These interventions demonstrate the Authority’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that no community is left behind in the pursuit of a cleaner Lagos.
Dr. Gbadegesin noted that LAWMA’s disposal facilities received over 418,500 tonnes of waste in May 2026, despite operational challenges experienced during the period, while 3,000 blackspots were being cleared daily through ongoing sanitation interventions and government continued to invest in infrastructure, equipment, and operational improvements aimed at strengthening service delivery across the State. He also highlighted the ongoing construction of new Transfer Loading Stations at Olusosun and Solous III, noting that the facilities would collectively divert up to 4,000 tonnes of waste daily to recycling and treatment facilities upon completion, significantly reducing pressure on disposal sites, advancing the State’s circular economy objectives, and complementing government’s broader commitment to modernising waste management through increased investment in recycling, material recovery, waste diversion, and other sustainable waste-to-resource initiatives.
Dr. Gbadegesin urged residents to continue to patronise approved PSP operators, avoid indiscriminate waste disposal, and support ongoing government efforts to maintain a cleaner and healthier environment, reassuring residents that the current operational challenges were being actively addressed and that service levels would improve progressively as the various interventions took effect. He reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to continuously improving waste management services and assured residents that all relevant stakeholders were working diligently to restore optimal service levels across affected communities, as Lagos continues its march toward a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future.
