Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has directed the state’s Ministry of Environment and relevant agencies to intensify waste evacuation across the city.
Sanwo-Olu also ordered agencies and service providers to work round-the-clock to clear the backlog of waste on street corners and in suburbs.
The metropolis is currently facing a major waste disposal challenge, with household and industrial refuse lining major roads and highways across the mainland and island.
In a statement on Thursday, Gboyega Akosile, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, said the government acknowledged residents’ concerns over the recent accumulation of refuse in some parts of the state.
Akosile said the situation was receiving the governor’s utmost attention, adding that residents deserved a clean, healthy and environmentally sustainable city.
“We are not oblivious to the inconveniences and concerns occasioned by the situation,” the statement read.
“Lagosians deserve a clean, healthy and environmentally sustainable city, and this administration remains fully committed to delivering on that obligation.
“Governor Sanwo-Olu has consequently directed an immediate scale-up of waste evacuation operations across the state, with relevant agencies and service providers working round the clock to clear backlogs and restore normalcy as quickly as possible.
“Additional resources have been deployed to support ongoing efforts, while strategic interventions are being implemented to strengthen operational efficiency and improve waste collection and disposal across affected areas.
“The governor has directed the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), and all other departments in that sector to double down on their efforts.”
Akosile described the challenge as temporary, saying substantial progress was already being recorded in several locations.
He appealed to residents to remain calm and patient, adding that the state government was pursuing a comprehensive response.
Major roads across several Lagos communities have experienced worsening waste accumulation in recent months, with many residents accusing private sector participation (PSP) waste collectors engaged by LAWMA of abandoning their duties.
Since January, the situation has deteriorated, with many residents resorting to disposing waste on road medians.
In April, the Lagos State Government reintroduced the monthly environmental sanitation exercise after a 10-year suspension.
The state-wide clean-up exercise returned a decade after it was halted in November 2016 following a court ruling.
