… vows prosecution of violators

The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has issued a stern warning to property owners, agents and private occupiers in the state, to henceforth desist from illegal recycling and scavenging in unlicensed facilities.It also advised them to halt indiscriminate sorting, dumping, storing and trading of recyclable waste in their facilities and in public spaces around them.Commenting on a public notice issued by LAWMA to property owners, agents and private occupiers to that effect, the Managing Director/CEO of the agency, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, noted that such activities not only degraded the city’s aesthetic appeal but also disrupted the rights of property owners, contributing to serious environmental hazards.The final public notice reads: “LAWMA has observed a rising trend of indiscriminate waste sorting, dumping, and trading of recyclables in unauthorized locations. These activities violate the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law, 2017 and will not be tolerated. Any individual or entity engaging in illegal recycling or scavenging will face strict enforcement measures and penalties as prescribed by law”.It further cited part III, Section 85 & 86 of the Law, which makes the deposition of recyclable waste in undesignated locations strictly prohibited, adding that LAWMA would take all necessary steps to enforce compliance, including prosecuting violators and shutting down offending facilities.Commenting further, Gbadegesin said, “We cannot fold our hands and watch few people derail the ongoing efforts to make the environment cleaner and livable for all residents. I also want to add that property owners who permit unauthorised recycling or scavenging activities on their premises risk revocation of property rights and other legal consequences.

”The LAWMA boss urged residents and stakeholders to utilise only licensed recycling facilities and registered waste collectors, to ensure proper waste management in Lagos, encouraging the populace to report illegal activities through LAWMA’s official channels.”We remain committed to achieving a cleaner and more sustainable Lagos, but we need the cooperation of all residents. We urge everyone to comply with waste management laws of the state and contribute to a healthier environment,” he stressed.He advised property owners, businesses and the public to take this final warning seriously and avoid actions that could lead to serious legal repercussions.In a related development, a joint enforcement team, comprising officials of LAWMA’s Monitoring and Compliance Department and the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) have dislodged squatters and illegal recyclers at Ijora- Olopa underbridge, to sanitise the environment in the area.Gbadegesin said the enforcement exercise would continue in other areas of the state, in line with the zero tolerance for waste policy, adding there would be no hiding place for any individual or group of persons bent on causing environmental degradation and undermining efforts of the Authority.For further inquiries or to report illegal recycling activities, please contact LAWMA via its customer service lines: 080000LAWMA (08000052962), 07080601020, and 617, or visit www.lawma.gov.ng.

… Agency Urges Residents to Stop Patronising Cart Pushers

The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has intensified its enforcement and clean-up operations across the state to curb indiscriminate waste disposal and maintain environmental sustainability.The agency’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, emphasised LAWMA’s unwavering commitment to keeping Lagos clean, noting that the monitoring and enforcement team had been mobilised to ensure compliance with waste management laws of the state.He said, “LAWMA remains resolute in stamping out illegal waste disposal and environmental violations. Our Environmental Monitoring and Enforcement Anti-Cart Pushers Squad has been actively dislodging illegal waste operators who contribute to the degradation of our environment. We urge residents to desist from patronising them and instead work with registered PSP operators for proper waste disposal.”Gbadegesin said the enforcement team recently carried out major operations in areas like Ifako-Ijaiye, Dopemu, Agege, Ojodu Berger, and other parts of Lagos, apprehending cart pushers known for collecting waste and dumping it at unauthorised locations, stressing that such activities violated environmental laws and undermined the state government’s efforts at maintaining a clean and livable city.He warned that ignorance of the law is not an excuse and anyone caught engaging in cart pushing would be made to face the full wrath of the law.The LAWMA boss further noted that the Authority had also commenced the evacuation of waste from illegal dumpsites along the Lekki-Epe Expressway, particularly behind Circle Mall, adding that the operation, simultaneously taking place at Mile 2 Badagry expressway, would continue in the coming weeks, in line with the agency’s ongoing efforts to clear accumulated waste, remove silt along the median and verges and prevent indiscriminate disposal along highways.In a separate exercise, LAWMA has intensified efforts to clean up Lagos waterways, ensuring that rivers and water bodies remain free of waste and blockages. The initiative is aimed at reducing environmental pollution and promoting cleaner water channels across the state.Gbadegesin urged Lagosians to support LAWMA’s initiatives in 2025, by properly disposing of their waste, reporting service gaps, and calling the agency’s helplines for backup waste collection services.”A cleaner Lagos is achievable when everyone plays their part. We urge residents to work with assigned PSP operators, report waste-related infractions, and adopt responsible waste disposal habits. Together, we can create a cleaner and healthier city for all,” he added.For waste management related issues and complaints, please call LAWMA toll-free numbers: 080000LAWMA (08000052962), 07080601020 and 617, or visit www.lawma.gov.ng.

The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has commenced a three-day training for some staff members of Ekiti State Waste Management Authority (EKSWAMA), on professional approach to waste management.

The EKSWAMA team, led by its Director-General, Mr Olasunkanmi Onipede, was received by the Managing Director/CEO of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin and his management team.

Welcoming them at LAWMA headquarters, Ijora Olopa, Gbadegesin expressed his delight, stressing that the Authority was always open to resource sharing, just as it had done with other states and some West African countries, on modern waste management techniques.

His words, “ LAWMA, was initially established in 1977 as a refuse collection board but the current structure of the authority came about in 1999. The incumbent president of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who was the Governor of Lagos State then restructured LAWMA to a scientific and professional waste management authority.

Since then, LAWMA keeps coming up with new innovations. Managing the waste of 23 million people who generate 13 tonnes of waste daily is not a child’s play, we continue to learn, unlearn and relearn in the process of waste management”
“Today, we have incorporated over 400 PSPs, who have at least two compactors each to evacuate household waste across the state. Currently, LAWMA is working round the clock and transiting from a linear into a circular economy system, embracing the reduce, reuse and recycle model. This is the best place you can come to learn, as we have the best hands who will share both theoretical and practical insights about waste management with you. I assure you that at the end of the three days training, you will still have to come back for more.’’ he noted.

Responding, the Director-General of EKSWAMA, Mr. Olasunkanmi Onipede, noted that the purpose of the training was to understudy LAWMA’s waste management operation, which according to him, was worth emulating, in order to be replicated in Ekiti State.

He said: “Coming from a state where we manage the waste of nearly 3.5 million people to Lagos State where over 23 million residents’ waste is managed, means that we are in the right place to learn from. What we are concerned about, is how we can replicate Lagos Waste Management system in Ekiti State. From all we have seen, we are optimistic that this training is just a step to more partnerships with LAWMA. We are ready to drink from your wealth of knowledge and get EKSWAMA’s regulations right. We are glad to be here and thank you for having us’’, Onipede said.

Also speaking, LAWMA’s Head of PSP Domestic Services, Dr. Tunde Suleiman, who took the team through the first lecture on general overview of solid waste management principles and practices, highlighted the processes involved in waste management from the collection to the disposal.

He said: “The waste management sector keeps evolving and that is why in LAWMA, we emphasise environmental best practices in the industry. A lot of processes are involved, from the collection of waste to the treatment, transportation and disposal stages, as the Authority manages different types of waste ranging from hazardous, commercial, recyclable, organic, healthcare, as well as domestic waste.”

Sulaiman however, noted that the Authority had adopted advocacy and sensitisation as essential tools in managing waste in a megacity like Lagos, adding that sensitising the people complemented LAWMA’s operational efforts.

”If we have to roll out all the compactors we have to evacuate waste in public spaces, we will still be in need of more and that is too expensive to fund. Therefore, we adopted continuous advocacy and sensitisation, in order to work on the mindset of people, our focus is attitudinal change. If residents embrace a positive change towards the environment, we won’t have to be clearing the roads every day. So, the challenge we have is residents’ poor attitude to the environment. Enforcement on the other hand is always a last result’’. he stressed

The director of Medical Health and Safety Services, Dr. Mrs. Modupe Okoh, gave the general safety talk, while the director of Public Affairs, Mrs. Folashade Kadiri, took the team through the schedule of activities of the three-day training. The team were also shown short documentaries of LAWMA’s activities.

The Three days training, would cover all the core areas of the Authority’s waste management system; ranging from operations, landfill management, advocacy, Admin and Human resource, Circular Economy, waste management finance, environmental health, legal services, monitoring and compliance among others. Field trips will be undertaken to Olusosun landfill, waste to energy plant at IKosi-Ketu and LAWMA Mushin operational district.