By Lukman Olabiyi
Lagos State generates an average of 13,000 tonnes of waste daily, the state waste management agency has said.
Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, managing director of Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), who gave the figure, said the authority had been effectively evacuating the large volume of waste in partnership with Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators.
According to him, LAWMA and the PSP operators daily deploy 102 compactor trucks for waste evacuation.
He said LAWMA’s marine waste evacuation team had also continued to evacuate waste from coastlines, lagoons and drainage channels.
He added that LAWMA had continued to expand its advanced medical waste management to accommodate operations of hairdressers and beauticians who generated human tissue waste.
He emphasised that every Lagos resident had a role to play in maintaining a cleaner and healthier environment.
“From disposing waste properly through accredited PSP operators and cleaning of gutters in front of our houses, to sorting waste at source, we all have roles to play,” Gbadegesin said.
He urged the populace to also desist from dumping waste indiscriminately in canals, uncompleted buildings, and other unauthorised locations.
Gbadegesin assured that LAWMA would be providing backup services for PSP operators in areas with service gaps.
“I want to implore residents to shun the act of improper waste disposal at unauthorised locations such as road medians, canals and uncompleted buildings. We want to assure Lagosians that we will be providing backup services in places where they are needed, to ensure proper sanitation in every part of the city,” he stated.
Gbadegesin noted LAWMA’s resolve to tackle all forms of improper waste disposal in the state, which had led to environmental degradation, appealing to residents to patronise only assigned PSP operators and shun garbage cart pushers, whose activities, he said, undermined the agency’s efforts.
He highlighted LAWMA’s ongoing innovations in waste management, including expansion of the waste-to-wealth initiatives aimed at reducing dependence on landfills.
“Now, we have a glass recycling plant in Lagos, and people are beginning to see the economic potential in materials such as PET bottles,” he said.