Lagos May Engage Environmental Officers To Curb Waste Dumping

To curb the huge piles of refuse on road medians in several parts of the state, the Lagos State government is considering the deployment of environmental officers statewide against indiscriminate waste dumping.

The state’s Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, stated this during a meeting with the executive members of the Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria (AWAMN) as part of the ongoing efforts to address operational challenges affecting the state’s waste management system.

He assured the association that the state government would support its request for environmental officers to be attached to wards to monitor waste management activities at the community level.

Wahab explained that the officers will ensure that household waste is properly collected, payments for waste services made, PSP operators performed efficiently and residents continuously sensitised on proper waste disposal practices.

He said effective enforcement would also be critical to ensuring that the residents patronised designated PSP operators and desisted from indiscriminate disposal of waste on roads and other unauthorised locations.

He urged the association to submit its recommendations on sustainable waste management, including proposals covering enforcement, cost recovery, waste treatment, disposal and regulation of PSP operators, for further consideration by the government.

The commissioner reiterated the state government’s commitment to strengthening the regulation of Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators and improving waste collection, transportation and disposal across the state.

Wahab stressed that all stakeholders in the sector must work towards the same objective of achieving an effective, efficient and sustainable waste management system in Lagos, noting that the government would continue to engage operators to identify challenges and develop practical solutions.

While acknowledging recent improvements at the landfill sites, he emphasised the need for further interventions to make the facilities fully functional and sustainable.

He also stressed the importance of proper access roads, drainage, operational platforms and adequate facilities to facilitate the smooth movement of waste trucks within the dumpsites.

Wahab noted that ongoing improvements at the Solous dumpsite would significantly reduce pressure on other disposal locations, particularly those serving Alimosho, Ikotun-Ejigbo, Ayobo and surrounding areas, while also reducing the turnaround time for PSP operators and enabling them to provide more efficient services to residents.

The commissioner added that the state government was examining ways to improve the financial sustainability of PSP operations, including cost recovery and appropriate adjustments that would enable operators to deliver services efficiently.

He stressed that improved financial arrangements must be matched by accountability, transparency and effective service delivery.

“No PSP operator should use the challenges at the dumpsites or other operational difficulties as an excuse for failing to provide the required services to residents,” he said.

He called on AWAMN to strengthen its internal regulation and ensure that every PSP operator met its contractual obligations, maintained its fleet and provided consistent waste collection services within its assigned areas.

In his speech, the President of AWAMN, Dr. Olugbenga Adebola, lauded the ministry and its leadership for their commitment and personal intervention in addressing challenges within the waste management sector.

Adebola said the association had responded to the government’s directives by inspecting disposal sites and engaging contractors to undertake improvement works at some of the dumpsite locations.

He disclosed that the association had also worked with the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) team to identify infrastructure and operational requirements at the dumpsites.

He explained that some of the access roads had been opened up and improved, while further work, including stone-base reinforcement, was required to ensure that the roads remained functional during the rainy season and under the weight of heavy waste trucks.