Lagos Dumps Linear Waste System For Circular Economy Approach

The Lagos State Government has begun transitioning from a traditional linear waste management system to a circular economy model, a move aimed at strengthening environmental sustainability while unlocking economic value in Africa’s largest city.

For decades, waste management in Lagos, like in many fast-growing cities, followed a linear pattern: waste was generated, collected, transported, and disposed of.

While this approach was sufficient when the city was smaller, with lower consumption levels and more available land for disposal, it has become increasingly inadequate for a megacity now home to over 22 million people.

Today, authorities say the old model can no longer support Lagos’ rapid urbanisation and rising waste volumes.

Speaking at a forum organised by the Property and Environment Writers Association of Nigeria (PEWAN) in Lagos, Managing Director of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Muyiwa Gbadegesin, said the shift reflects a broader rethinking of waste as a resource rather than a burden.

The forum, themed “Managing the Waste of 22 Million Lagosians: From Linear Disposal to a Circular Economy, Role of PSP Operators and Other Waste Managers,” brought together key stakeholders in the sector.

Represented by LAWMA’s Executive Director of Finance, Kunle Adebiyi, Gbadegesin noted that the linear model is no longer sustainable as it treats waste merely as a nuisance to be removed, rather than a material stream with economic potential.

He explained that the circular model focuses on reducing waste generation, promoting sorting at source, recovering reusable materials, and reintroducing them into productive use, making disposal the last resort rather than the primary objective.

“That is the transition we must make. The issue before us is not simply how to evacuate refuse more quickly; it is how to redesign the entire system so that disposal becomes the last resort, not the central organising principle,” he said.

Gbadegesin further stressed that Lagos’ unique geography as a coastal and amphibious city makes effective waste management even more critical, warning that poorly handled waste can quickly escalate into drainage blockages, flooding, marine pollution, and public health risks.

Under the new approach, success will no longer be measured solely by the volume of waste collected, but by how much is reduced, sorted, recovered, and converted into economic value, with minimal volumes ending up in landfills.

At the centre of this transition are Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators, who serve as the primary link between the formal waste management system and residents. Lagos currently has 454 PSP operators responsible for servicing households and businesses across the state.

“They are the face of the system in neighbourhoods. They are the ones residents interact with—calling, paying, and expecting service from. Their role in the next phase of reform is absolutely critical,” he noted.

However, Gbadegesin cautioned that PSP operators alone cannot deliver a fully circular system, emphasising the need for a broader ecosystem of waste managers, including recyclers, processors, and other specialised players.

Analysts say the transition, if effectively implemented, could not only improve environmental outcomes but also create jobs, boost investment, and position Lagos as a model for sustainable urban waste management in Africa.

“We need stronger recyclers, aggregators, and processors. A circular economy cannot function unless there is real downstream demand for paper, plastics, metals, organics, glass, and other recoverable materials.

Collection without recovery merely shifts the problem. To move from disposal to circularity, Lagos must keep strengthening the chain from households and businesses to aggregators, processors, manufacturers, and end markets,” he stated.