Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has declared what he described as a “small state of emergency” on waste management in the state, following mounting challenges with refuse collection and disposal across the metropolis.
Sanwo-Olu made the declaration on Wednesday during an inspection of the Olusosun dumpsite in Ojota, where he was accompanied by Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat and Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab. He said the government had identified pressure on the waste collection system and indiscriminate dumping as issues requiring urgent intervention.
According to the governor, the state plans to immediately increase the capacity of the Olusosun dumpsite, which currently handles about 220 to 250 waste trucks daily, with a target of between 350 and 450 trucks. The number of active tipping points will also be increased from about two or three to as many as four or five to reduce delays in the disposal process.
Sanwo-Olu said the government would also improve operations at other waste-receiving sites, including Solu 3, Iwulepe in Ikorodu, Oke-Osho in Epe and Erikitte in Badagry. He expressed hope that within about six weeks, four major sites would be fully active, with a fifth site in Badagry also being developed.
The governor said the expansion was aimed at reducing the long queues of waste trucks at dumpsites, where some vehicles reportedly spend several hours before being able to discharge their loads. He said spreading disposal activities across more locations would improve the turnaround time of trucks and ultimately speed up waste collection across Lagos.
As part of the medium- and long-term plan, Sanwo-Olu disclosed that two transfer loading stations, each with a capacity of about 2,400 metric tonnes, were being developed at Olusosun and Solu 3. He said the facilities would support material recovery centres planned for Oke-Osho and Erikitte, where waste would be sorted and converted into reusable materials.
The governor also announced that the state had procured 160 new compactor trucks to strengthen waste collection, with additional equipment expected through its partnership with Zoomlion. He said the government would also review the operations of Private Sector Participation operators to ensure that only effective and capable operators remained in the system.
Sanwo-Olu also appealed to Lagos residents to stop indiscriminate dumping of refuse and urged them to pay for waste collection services. He argued that residents expect effective waste services but are often unwilling to pay for them, stressing that both government and residents have responsibilities in maintaining a cleaner environment.
The governor said the planned investments in waste transfer, disposal and recovery infrastructure were intended to provide a long-term solution to the challenges of waste generation and management in Lagos.
