The President of the Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria, Dr Olugbenga Adebola, has stated that Lagos State generates over 20,000 metric tonnes of waste daily.
Dr Adebola disclosed this on Wednesday in Lagos while speaking during the quarterly forum of the Property and Environment Writers Association of Nigeria. The event was themed ‘Waste Management: Challenges, policy framework and solutions for sustainable megacities’.
He emphasised that, if effectively managed, waste can be transformed into valuable resources, noting that human survival depends on the environment, which in turn is shaped by how waste is managed.
Adebola noted that waste is a critical component of environmental sustainability, stressing that effective and efficient its management services are a pre-healthcare service.
“Scientifically proven, each one of us generates between 0.5 kg and 1.2 kg of waste. If you multiply that by the total number of over 27 million people in the state, you will know that Lagos is actually generating over 20,000 metric tonnes of waste daily. And if you ask me, that is huge,” Adebola said.
He also noted that Lagos faces challenges from rapid urbanisation and insufficient infrastructure, stressing the need for an efficient dump site to support optimal operations.
One of the major problems that the private sector participants are having right now is when waste is collected from the doorstep of the waste generators and they do not have access to where it is dumped; then they become static. If you have collected it and you were not able to dump it, you cannot go anywhere to collect another one. These are major challenges, of course, like limited space in Lagos. Lagos is the smallest state in Nigeria, but it has the highest population. Therefore, we must start thinking creatively and innovatively. How do we manage our waste? What do we need to do? Lack of effective waste segregation is also a major issue. And you cannot segregate your waste when you do not have the incentive to actually segregate. That is another problem. Now, another problem, or challenge, as I call it—maybe not a problem, but a challenge that we can sum up—is insufficient policy implementation,’ Dr Adebola stated.
He, however, commended the state governor for his promise to rehabilite the dump site, which he said will enable the waste collectors to dump properly.
Earlier, the Chairwoman of PEWAN, Mrs Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie, noted that the group acknowledged the initiative of the Lagos State Government through LAWMA for the significant investment in efforts at waste management through policy framework and policy implementation.
“Worthy of note among initiatives is that LAWMA is implementing a ten-year, technology-driven waste management programme under the THEMES+ agenda (Health and Environment pillar), thereby transitioning from conventional dumpsites to material recovery facilities and upgrading transfer loading stations at Olusosun and Solous. The “Trash for Cash” initiative is ongoing, and the government also planned to deploy at least 100 Compressed Natural Gas compactor trucks to enhance cleaner, eco-friendly collection, using smart bins,’ Iroegbu-Chikezie said.
She highlighted that Lagos, as a vibrant megacity, faces significant waste management challenges, adding that with thousands of tonnes of waste generated daily, effective management is crucial for public health and environmental sustainability.
“The challenges identified in this regard include rapid urbanisation, as population growth continues to outpace waste infrastructure development. Inadequate collection limits progress, as only 40 per cent of waste is collected, leaving much unmanaged,” she added.
