… LAWMA MD seeks police support to protect waste management facilities, personnel, and operational assets
Babajide Fadoju
The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and the Lagos State Police Command have agreed to strengthen their collaboration to tackle indiscriminate waste dumping, curb illegal activities and encroachment at dumpsites, and enhance the protection of waste management facilities and personnel across the State. The agreement was reached on Tuesday during a courtesy visit by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Tijani Fatai, at the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters, GRA, Ikeja.
Dr. Gbadegesin, who sought stronger police support for the Authority’s enforcement and operational activities, stated that the rapid influx of people into Lagos had continued to place pressure on the State’s waste management infrastructure by contributing to the increasing volume of waste generated within the metropolis. He put the daily waste generation at between 13,000 and 16,000 tonnes, emphasising that the volume required sustained operational interventions, complemented by effective enforcement and inter-agency collaboration to tackle indiscriminate dumping and other environmental violations.
The LAWMA boss said that while the Authority was intensifying waste collection, infrastructure development, recycling, and resource recovery initiatives, stronger collaboration with security agencies remained critical to protecting waste management infrastructure and ensuring the effective enforcement of environmental regulations. He raised concerns about the safety of LAWMA personnel, including enforcement officers, street sweepers, and others deployed to evacuate indiscriminately dumped waste, noting that some officers had encountered resistance and attacks from unauthorised persons, including armed scavengers, in the course of carrying out their statutory duties.
Dr. Gbadegesin therefore called for enhanced security support around critical LAWMA facilities, operational locations, and areas prone to illegal activities, stressing that the safety of personnel was essential to sustaining efficient waste management operations in the State. “We are committed to working closely with the Police and other relevant security agencies to restore order around waste management facilities, protect our personnel and infrastructure, and ensure that anyone who assaults or obstructs our officers while performing their lawful duties is made to face the consequences of such actions,” he said.
Responding, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Tijani Fatai, acknowledged the critical role of LAWMA in maintaining a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment across Lagos State, commending the Authority for its sustained efforts to improve waste management and environmental sanitation. He observed that indiscriminate dumping and other environmental violations by some residents continued to undermine the gains recorded in waste management, stressing the need for stronger enforcement, public awareness, and responsible behaviour by residents.
CP Fatai assured LAWMA of the full support and cooperation of the Lagos State Police Command in strengthening enforcement operations and addressing cases involving illegal dumping, unauthorised occupation and encroachment of dumpsites, as well as attacks on LAWMA personnel. He said the Command would work closely with LAWMA to ensure that environmental offenders were made to face the consequences of their actions, while supporting the Authority’s efforts to protect its facilities, personnel, and operational assets. The meeting reaffirmed the commitment of both agencies to sustained collaboration, effective enforcement, and stakeholder engagement as part of collective efforts to promote a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable Lagos.
