Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has declared what he described as a “small state of emergency” on waste management in the state, warning residents against indiscriminate dumping of refuse.
Sanwo-Olu made the announcement during a visit to the Olusosun dumpsite in Ojota, Lagos, where he acknowledged growing pressure on the state’s waste collection system and the increasing amount of refuse being dumped on roads and other unauthorised locations.
The governor said the state government would immediately introduce several measures to improve waste collection and reduce the time trucks spend waiting at dumpsites.
According to him, Olusosun currently receives between 220 and 250 waste trucks daily. The government plans to increase its capacity to handle between 350 and 450 trucks by expanding the number of operational tipping points from two or three to four or five.
Sanwo-Olu also announced plans to activate or improve additional waste-receiving locations, including Solous 3 in Alimosho, Ewu Elepe in Ikorodu, Oke Osho in Epe and Erekiti in Badagry.
The governor said the measures are expected to create more options for waste trucks and reduce congestion at dumpsites, thereby improving the efficiency of refuse collection across Lagos.
As part of the intervention, the Lagos State Government has ordered 160 new compactor trucks, which Sanwo-Olu said would begin arriving soon.
The new vehicles are expected to strengthen the capacity of the state’s waste collection system, particularly in residential areas and along major roads.
The government is also considering the procurement of landfill compactors, while private waste collection operators have been encouraged to increase their investment in equipment.
Sanwo-Olu said the Private Sector Participation (PSP) waste operators had agreed to review their membership and remove operators that no longer have the capacity or willingness to provide effective services.
The move, he explained, would create room for new investors while ensuring that capable operators remain in the waste management system.
While announcing the government’s interventions, Sanwo-Olu also appealed to Lagos residents to play their part by paying for waste collection services and avoiding indiscriminate disposal.
He stressed that residents should not use the challenges within the collection system as a reason to dump refuse on roads or other unauthorised areas.
The governor further announced plans to restructure the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), saying there was a need to have more personnel focused on field operations and activities at dumpsites rather than an excessive concentration of senior officials in offices.
The latest measures are aimed at addressing Lagos’ immediate waste management challenges while improving the efficiency and sustainability of the system.
For residents, the success of the intervention will depend not only on additional trucks and dumpsites but also on responsible waste disposal and greater cooperation between households, businesses, waste operators and government agencies.