CLEAN YOUR SURROUNDING OR LOSE YOUR PROPERTY — LAWMA BOSS WARNS PROPERTY OWNERS… to roll out CNG trucks, drone surveillance, community recycling centres, and waste recovery facilities

The managing director/CEO of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, has issued a strong warning to property owners and residents across the state, to keep their surroundings clean or face stiff penalties, including possible loss of property.

He gave the warning during an interview on Lagos Talks 91.3FM today, noting that a clean environment was a shared responsibility, not just the duty of government, adding that any activity generating waste illegally on land was prohibited, and people should be responsible for their lands or property.

He further stressed that tenants and occupants, who were not landowners, also had a legal obligation to maintain cleanliness in their immediate environment. In his words: "Even if you are not the owner, but you are living in the property, you must keep the surrounding clean. LAWMA cannot clean your frontage for you. That responsibility falls squarely on residents".

Gbadegesin also disclosed that the Authority would soon introduce the use of drones to monitor waste disposal activities and curb indiscriminate dumping.

He said: "The waste collection system is sacrosanct and will always be managed by Nigerians. Even with new opportunities, Nigerians are leading the way because we live here and understand the local challenges. Starting a business in this area is not cheap, but Nigerians have a strong drive, and once we see the value in something, we put our full effort into it. The only issue is that many people didn’t recognise the potential in waste management."

On challenges facing Private Sector Participants (PSPs), the LAWMA boss noted: “Despite many residents fulfilling their payment obligations, a significant number are still not complying, making it difficult for PSPs to recoup operational costs. As regulators, we have developed solutions, including supporting PSPs with new CNG-powered trucks to enhance operational efficiency and reduce costs.”

He said LAWMA was significantly expanding its recycling programs across the state, with hundreds of recycling companies now offering door-to-door collection of recyclable waste, adding that the authority had also introduced community recycling centres where residents could exchange recyclables for incentives. 

He noted that LAWMA remained committed to effective management of about 13,000 tons of waste generated daily in the state through various initiatives and infrastructure projects, adding that the authority had signed a memorandum of understanding with Zoomlion Nigeria to close two major dumpsites — Olusosun at Ojota and Solous 3 in Igando, within 18 months.

"We will build transfer loading stations at both dumpsites to divert waste to new material recovery facilities. From Ojota, we will divert waste to a material recovery facility in Ikorodu, and from Igando to Badagry. These facilities will process 2,500 tons of waste each and feature equipment that automatically separates metals, plastics, textiles and similar materials. With these facilities, you won't see or smell waste. Our plan is also to place solar panels on these sites to generate electricity for the surrounding facilities", he stated.

To enhance compliance and community engagement, the LAWMA boss said the Authority was strengthening partnerships with residential associations, such as the Lekki Phase 1 Residents Association (LERA), to crack down on illegal waste disposal, reiterating that maintaining a clean environment required a collective effort between the agency and residents.

"LAWMA deploys 17,000 street sweepers covering 1,000 routes, but this doesn't cover every street in the state. Residents should also support the effort by keeping their frontage and surroundings clean. If we all do the right thing daily and weekly, we will have a cleaner city. As we say, 'Igbega Ipinle Eko, Ajumose gbogbo wa ni' – the state's development and progress is a collective effort", he concluded.