Lagos Waste Reporter

The Lagos Waste Management Authority has warned residents against attacking or obstructing its enforcement officers during environmental sanitation and waste management operations across the state. The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Muyiwa Gbadegesin, issued the warning on Friday following reports that some personnel were threatened and assaulted while carrying out routine enforcement duties. “I am compelled to warn, in the strongest terms, against any attempt to attack, harass, intimidate, or obstruct LAWMA enforcement officers while they carry out their lawful duties across Lagos State,” Gbadegesin said in a post on X on Friday. He described the recent incidents as disturbing and unacceptable, noting that enforcement officers were not deployed to provoke conflict. “Over the past few days, we have recorded disturbing incidents in which some of our personnel were threatened and, in a few cases, assaulted during routine enforcement of env...

Why Do People Continue to Glamourize MAKOKO? Makoko is often referred to as the "Venice of Africa", however, lacking the infrastructure to support such density, it teeters on the brink of a significant ecological and public health crisis, between a vibrant community and catastrophe. If the government opts not to relocate residents or fails to regenerate the area, the risks become systemic for Lagos, extending beyond local concerns. 1. Public Health: An Ongoing Epidemic Threat Makoko, largely constructed on stilts over the Lagos Lagoon, suffers from the absence of a formal sewage system. Consequently, the water beneath the homes functions as both waste disposal and, on occasion, a source of domestic water. Waterborne Diseases: The sanitation deficiencies render the area a constant breeding ground for cholera, typhoid, and dysentery. In a densely populated city like Lagos, an outbreak originating in Makoko can propagate rapidly to the mainland via trade ...

… Calls for People-Oriented Water Sector  The newly appointed Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO), Mrs. Oluwabukola Khadijah Adeyemo, has assumed office with a call to all staff members to advocate for a people-focused water sector in the State. Speaking during her maiden interactive session with the staff and management of the Agency at Alausa, Ikeja, Adeyemo urged stakeholders and partners to join hands in building a water sector that truly serves Lagosians. The new Executive Secretary said the Commission's vision is clear with its strategic direction, which is mainly to position Lagos State as a model for water regulation in Nigeria and across Africa. While describing the challenges before the Commission as significant, the new helmsman said they are not insurmountable. “But this can only become a reality with unity of purpose, courage and determination among the staff", she added. Maintaining that water is n...

...As the Environment Commissioner Conducts a Tour of Major Dumpsites The Lagos State Government publicly announced over the weekend its commitment to adopting strategic initiatives aimed at improving waste disposal and waste management practices. Following a tour of the primary dumpsites at Olusosun and Soluos 3, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, stated to the media that the government remains steadfast in its resolve to provide Lagosians with a sustainable and operational environment. Wahab indicated that within the upcoming 18 months, the state plans to decommission the Olusosun and Soluos 3 landfills. These sites will be transformed into contemporary Transfer Loading Stations, where waste will be sorted, compacted, and redirected for recycling and resource recovery. He noted that the Governor and the State Executive Council have regularly discussed waste-related issues, with particular attention given to the conditions at Olusosun ...

The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has reinforced its enforcement operations across the state, targeting indiscriminate dumping, black spots, and persistent environmental violations that threaten public health and urban resilience. Speaking on the Authority’s latest actions, the Managing Director/CEO of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, acknowledged the waste management challenges experienced in some areas in the state, noting that the Authority remained firmly committed to ending all forms of reckless disposal habits. He said, “The state’s coastal geography made enforcement very important, to prevent environmental hazards. A bag of refuse tossed into a drain anywhere in the metropolis does not disappear. It blocks culverts, worsens flooding, exposes households to contaminated water, and sends plastics and debris into our canals and lagoon systems. Illegal dumping has consequences far beyond the act itself.” He revealed that LAWMA has moved from episodic c...

PRESS RELEASE Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State reaffirmed the State's unwavering commitment to promoting sustainable growth through innovation and investment in resilience as it prepares to host the 2025 International Climate Change Summit. Scheduled to take place on November 6th and 7th at the Lagos Continental Hotel, the 2025 Summit, themed “Blue Economy, Green Money: Financing Africa’s Coastal Resilience and Ocean Innovation,” is expected to attract global leaders, investors, climate scientists, and policymakers. In a statement made by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, the Governor highlighted that Lagos continues to exemplify leadership in subnational climate action while developing effective mechanisms for city-level climate finance. The Governor further emphasized that the State has been actively engaged in the development of blue bonds and nature-based coastal protection projects, which are instrumental in shaping ...