Lagos overwhelmed by 15,000 tons of waste daily, says LAWMA boss

Lagos, Nigeria's bustling megacity of approximately 22 million people, is grappling with a monumental waste crisis, generating between 13,000 and 15,000 tons of refuse daily. This sheer volume strains the city's waste management infrastructure, creating significant health risks.

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Lagos is a rapidly growing megacity of about 22 million people. We generate between 13,000 to 15,000 tons of waste daily.

Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, the CEO of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), detailed the challenges and interventions in an exclusive interview. He highlighted the need for substantial investment across the entire waste management value chain, from household containerization to regular collection using compactor trucks.

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We are expecting by the end of this year Transfer Loading Stations, TLS, should be completed. Then, the MRFs, sometime in the first quarter of next year. At that point, we can close down Olusosun. One is already closed.

LAWMA is actively working on new solutions. Transfer Loading Stations are expected to be completed by the end of the year, with Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) following in the first quarter of next year. These developments are part of a plan to eventually close down the Olusosun dumpsite, with one already shut. A long-term, five-year project aims to construct a biogas plant, a collaboration with the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) and funded by the Swedish government, which has achieved high levels of circularity in waste management.

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The plan is that those buses will after we have constructed the biogas plant, be powered by biomethane produced from our organic waste, which is 50 per cent of the waste that we generate daily.

Drawing inspiration from Stockholm's success in converting organic waste into biogas for cooking, heating, and powering public transport since 1942, Lagos is embarking on a similar path. The city plans to use biomethane produced from its organic waste, which constitutes 50% of daily refuse, to fuel LAMATA's new fleet of 2,000 CNG-powered buses. Pilot projects are also underway, including small-scale biodigesters installed in markets like Ikosi Fruit Market to process high volumes of organic waste, with plans to expand to other markets notorious for large waste accumulations.

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We have started doing that in Lagos with the energy transition. LAMATA is bringing in about 2,000 CNG-powered buses.