PLAYING host to over 20 million people is a challenge for any government or state. Beyond contending with such a massive population and the inevitable squabbles over limited amenities, managing the volume of waste generated daily becomes burdensome if not approached creatively.
This, in recent times, has been the reality for Lagos, the city of Aquatic Splendor.
The coastal city, according to the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), currently generates approximately 13,000 tonnes of solid waste daily and is grappling with the complex challenge of effective waste management.
Despite efforts by the state government to keep the metropolis clean, mountains of waste continue to dot both legal and illegal spaces across the city. Interestingly, while many residents argue that the government lacks the capacity to manage waste effectively, the government insists that the biggest obstacle to achieving a cleaner city is the attitude of some residents toward waste disposal.
Some residents who spoke with Saturday Tribune blamed the situation on the perceived lack of capacity by LAWMA officials and Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators, alleging delays in waste collection.
According to some, refuse often remains uncollected for more than a week.
‘Sometimes, it stays more than two weeks before PSP operators come to take them away. The odour is terrible and it poses a serious health risk, especially for those working around the area. We inhale this stench every day,’ said Ayodele Kazeem, a resident of Ketu-Ikosi.
Another resident, a shop owner named Mrs Titilope, alleged that people from outside the community regularly dump refuse at a particular spot in Ikotun.
‘The refuse here isn’t dumped by residents alone. People, especially motorists, come from as far as Ijegun to dispose of their waste here. Some even fling the refuse out of their vehicles and leave. It’s embarrassing that a major road in this area looks like this,’ she said.
But Robert Abiodun, a resident of Alimosho, disagreed.
‘While the government may have its issues, residents cannot be exempted from blame,’ argued Abiodun, who works around Alausa, Ikeja.
He explained that many communities have intentionally stopped paying refuse disposal fees to LAWMA, instead resorting to illegal methods of waste disposal.
‘I go out daily, very early in the morning, and I see all these things. Many Lagosians dump their waste at that hour. Some leave it on the road medians, while others throw it into nearby rivers. Some even wait for the rain to fall before pouring their waste into the floodwaters,’ he noted.
However, another resident, Gloria, who lives in Aboru, Oke Odo Local Council Development Area, placed the blame squarely on the government, arguing that it had failed to provide residents with a reliable waste disposal system.
‘It’s not true that residents prefer alternative methods of disposing of waste. They do it because they have no choice. Where I live, despite paying LAWMA, they don’t reach us because the roads are bad. Even if you leave your waste by the gate expecting it to be collected, it remains there. So what do you expect people to do in that situation?’ she asked.
Gloria attributed the inefficiency of government agencies to the recruitment process, claiming many PSP operators are not chosen on merit.
‘That was one of the reasons the former governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, sacked some PSP operators and brought in Visionscape. But we all saw what happened. That decision backfired and look at where we are today,’ she added.
Expectedly, LAWMA does not share this perspective.
Its Managing Director, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, told Saturday Tribune that residents’ behaviour continues to pose the greatest challenge to waste management in Lagos.
He argued that a key issue is residents’ failure to realise that ‘waste is wealth,’ leading many to discard potentially valuable items on the roadside or in drainages, only to be picked up by scavengers.
‘It shouldn’t be like that. We want people to look at what they have and say, ‘Ah! This has value. What can I make from this?’ and keep it separate,’ he said.
It will be recalled that in January 2024, the state government banned the use and distribution of styrofoam and other single-use plastics (SUPs) to curb environmental pollution. This policy was fully enforced by July 2025.
Yet, despite these efforts, Gbadegesin said, some residents continue to hamper effective waste management by dumping refuse in drains, medians and setbacks, flouting government warnings against such illegal activities.
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, assured that the state remains committed to maintaining cleanliness across Lagos.
He disclosed that more than 3,000 environmental offenders had been arrested and prosecuted in recent months.
‘We have a waste-to-wealth initiative, where organic waste becomes compost fertilizer, and plastic waste is recycled. All of this is meant to encourage Lagosians to build a proper waste disposal culture like we see in other parts of the world.
‘The state’s waste management approach includes converting 4,000-5,000 tonnes of waste daily into resources, 2,500 tonnes are converted to energy, while another 4,000-5,000 are transformed into fuel for LAMATA buses. Lafarge also takes a large portion of combustible waste to power its factory.
‘The long-term goal is to have fewer than 1,000 tonnes of waste ending up in landfills each day,’ Wahab said.
He also revealed plans to decommission the dumpsites at Olusosun and Soulos 3, explaining that waste segregation would significantly reduce the volume of waste ending up at landfills.
Wahab pointed out that homeowners often try to evade waste collection fees, resorting instead to illegal disposal practices.
‘If PSP operators are inefficient in your area, please call LAWMA. They have more than 200 trucks available to step in temporarily and investigate the performance of your assigned PSP operator,’ he stated.
LAWMA MD, Dr Gbadegesin, also noted that the agency is deepening its partnerships to solve the waste management crisis.
One of the major initiatives is the signing of several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with reputable international and multilateral companies. These MoUs aim to enhance resource recovery, as well as improve waste collection and recycling for both solid and liquid waste.
Highlighting the administration’s commitment to strategic partnerships, Wahab said that in May, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu signed an MoU with Dutch firm, Harvest Waste Consortium. This agreement will see the construction of a high-efficiency 60-80 MW Waste-to-Energy plant at the Epe landfill, using advanced technology to generate clean energy from municipal, commercial and industrial waste. The plant is expected to consume 2,500 tonnes of municipal solid waste daily and power up to 40,000 homes, boosting energy security.
Another major partnership is with the Jospong Group, represented by Zoomlion Nigeria, for the construction and operation of Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) and Transfer Loading Stations (TLS) in key areas. The project targets processing 3,500 tonnes of solid waste and 4,000 cubic metres of liquid waste daily.
Further agreements include a collaboration with Netherlands-backed company Close the Loop BV to establish an e-waste smelter plant in Lagos, aimed at managing the state’s vast deposits of electronic waste while creating jobs and stimulating a new economy.
Additionally, a Swedish-backed MoU was recently signed to explore more ways of converting solid and liquid waste into energy across the state.
On the issue of moribund recycling plants, Wahab countered that Lagos is home to numerous private recycling facilities.
‘For example, just three months ago, Coca-Cola opened a recycling plant in Apapa, and it’s doing well. They’re now expanding their collection to cover Apapa, Iganmu, Ijora-Badia, and other areas. Other producers like 7-Up are also establishing recycling plants,’ he said.
He, however, identified scavengers, now referred to as ‘urban miners,’ as a challenge, noting that they focus mainly on plastics, depriving recycling plants of raw materials.
‘There are also unregistered Chinese companies that collect these plastics for export, leaving local plants with insufficient supply. But we’re tackling this. Any unregistered company will be shut down to ensure local plants have enough raw materials,’ Wahab said.
Many believe that for Lagos to make real progress in waste management, it must urgently address the issues of uncooperative residents and underqualified PSP operators, two persistent obstacles that continue to hamper progress.