The Lagos State Government has expressed its openness to collaborating with investors on waste-to-energy initiatives to promote sustainable waste management and climate resilience. This was announced by Tokunbo Wahab, the State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, during a panel discussion at Harvard University’s Climate Action Week, themed “Rising Seas, Resilient Communities: Climate Adaptation Strategies in West Africa.”
Wahab highlighted that Lagos, with over 20 million residents generating approximately 13,000 metric tonnes of waste daily, is adopting innovative approaches to treat waste as a resource. The state has developed a climate adaptation and resilience plan, conducted pre-feasibility studies for waste-to-energy and wastewater projects, and signed an agreement with a Ghana-based company to convert part of its daily waste into compost, recyclable plastics, and fertilizers.
“If this contract is successfully executed, we aim to decommission major landfill sites like Olusosun and Solous, marking significant progress through collaboration,” Wahab stated.
He noted that, as a coastal city, Lagos faces challenges such as rising sea levels, heavy rainfall, heatwaves, and flash flooding. To counter these, the state has invested in drainage infrastructure, enforced laws against construction on floodplains, and intensified campaigns against indiscriminate waste dumping.
Wahab also addressed concerns about Lagos’ landmass expansion from 3,577 to 4,050 square kilometers due to reclamation activities. He stressed that all reclamation projects require Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approvals and must incorporate drainage master plans to manage stormwater effectively.
