Lagos Waste Mgt Crisis Worsens As Daily Generation Hits 17,000 Tonnes

Lagos State is grappling with a major waste crisis as many of its road medians, bus stops and expressways across the metropolis are currently filled with uncollected waste.

LEADERSHIP Sunday gathered that the crisis was triggered by the fact that the state currently generates over 17,000 metric tonnes of trash daily, but only collects about 40 percent thereby overflowing bins, pushing to the roads with stench of the refuse hurting neighborhoods.

Many observers and residents say the waste crisis in the state stemmed from irregular pick-ups from Private Sector Partnership (PSP) operators who are mainly legislators, party stalwarts being treated as sacred cows by the state government, delays at disposal sites, and illegal night dumping by cart pushers on the loose in the state.

Dissecting the problem recently, the Lagos State deputy governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, said the said government is currently making frantic efforts to nip the problem of waste management in the bud, urging the residents to complement government efforts by taking greater responsibility for their environment.

According to him, if the residents properly dispose of their waste and comply with environmental regulations it will be easy for the state government to tackle the problem.

He stressed that a cleaner Lagos ultimately depends on the collective actions of government, operators and residents, adding that a more organised and sustainable waste-management system is important and essential in Lagos as the state continues to experience rapid population growth and urbanisation.

He attributed some of the state’s waste-management challenges to the significant increase in the volume of waste generated daily, revealing that the figure had exceeded the government’s initial projections, linking the increase in waste generation to Lagos’ expanding population and the growing number of people living and operating informally across the State.

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the 2027 general election in Lagos State added that these factors had further increased the volume of waste requiring collection and disposal.

“The government had initially estimated that Lagos generated about 13,000 tonnes of waste daily but subsequently discovered that the volume had risen to approximately 17,000 tonnes. The increase had placed additional pressure on the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and other waste-management operators, making effective planning and management more difficult.”

He disclosed that Lagos currently has about 420 Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators involved in waste collection, while disruptions affecting waste-collection trucks had also contributed to the challenges experienced in some parts of the State.

He cautioned against simply blaming LAWMA for the situation, noting that the agency had been saddled with a responsibility whose scale was not initially anticipated.

Hamzat stressed the importance of accurate data in addressing the challenge, noting that proper planning and effective management could only be achieved when the actual scale of a problem was known.

“You cannot manage what you cannot measure,” he said, stressing the need for the State to continually review its waste-management strategies in line with the realities of a rapidly growing metropolis.

He therefore called on Nigerians to embrace a renewed sense of responsibility and patriotism, urging citizens to protect public assets, respect the law, uphold family values and contribute to the development of the country, underscoring the need for a national reset anchored on education, strong family values, responsible citizenship and effective enforcement of laws.