The Lagos State First Lady, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, has appealed to residents to be patient with the government over delays in refuse evacuation across the state.
She assured that the government was working on a new strategy to address the challenges confronting waste management in the state.
Sanwo-Olu spoke while monitoring the monthly environmental sanitation exercise in the Mafoluku area of Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area.
Residents of the area had complained about delays by Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators in evacuating waste, as well as increases in waste collection charges.
The First Lady attributed part of the delay to operational challenges faced by waste operators at dumpsites.
She said, ‘The turnaround time for the trucks to dump the dirt at the dumpsite takes a long time. They are in the queue for like two, three days before they dump it and then come out, because it’s just one way.’
According to her, the government was working to address the challenges, adding that all stakeholders were committed to ensuring that Lagos remained clean.
‘Our prayer to our people is that they should be patient. We know we have this teething problem; we will overcome our teething problem with time,’ she said.
Sanwo-Olu commended Mafoluku residents for bagging their refuse instead of dumping it beside drainage channels.
She, however, called for improved waste separation at source, noting that recyclable materials were still being mixed with wet and dry waste.
‘The importance of separating the waste is very important. We noticed that we need to advocate more on that, because some of the waste we saw today, we had bottles with dry waste, wet waste,’ she said.
She also commended schoolchildren’s participation in the sanitation exercise, saying the initiative would help instil environmental consciousness in them from an early age.
Assessing the impact of the exercise six months after its commencement, Sanwo-Olu said the state had yet to attain the desired level of cleanliness but noted that public awareness was improving.
‘Six months since we started, we haven’t got to where we want to be. It’s a work in progress. But I can see that the awareness is there. People are conforming,’ she said.
She disclosed that the Ministry of Environment would soon introduce competitions and awards for the cleanest communities as part of efforts to sustain the initiative.
Also speaking, the Lagos State Head of Service, Olabode Agoro, who monitored the exercise in Lagos Mainland Local Government Area, said residents’ participation had improved since the initiative began six months ago.
Agoro urged residents to take ownership of the exercise rather than waiting for government officials to arrive before cleaning their surroundings.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment, Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, also said public participation had increased significantly since the monthly sanitation exercise began.
He urged residents to embrace waste separation at the source, noting that recyclable materials such as plastics and paper could generate income.