Lagos tackles waste buildup along Ayobo-Ipaja axis

The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has initiated a significant cleanup operation along the Ayobo-Ipaja corridor, focusing on areas like Megida where waste has accumulated on road medians. This intervention comes in response to growing concerns over indiscriminate dumping, which LAWMA officials state is exacerbated by illegal market activities and a failure by some residents to utilize designated Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators.

Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, LAWMA's Managing Director/CEO, confirmed the deployment of operational teams to clear the waste and restore environmental standards. Simultaneously, enforcement personnel are on the ground to address the root causes of the recurring problem. "Clearing the waste is only one part of the intervention; we must also prevent redumping and ensure that residents use the approved waste collection channels," stated Mukaila Sanusi, Director of Public Affairs at LAWMA.

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We are working here right now to clear the accumulated waste and restore the affected areas to acceptable environmental standards. At the same time, our enforcement team is on the ground to address the activities responsible for the recurrence of these dumping points. Clearing the waste is only one part of the intervention; we must also prevent redumping and ensure that residents use the approved waste collection channels.

During the operation, LAWMA apprehended two tricycles (Keke Marwa) for illegally transporting waste to the road medians. Gbadegesin emphasized that the authority will not permit unauthorized waste collectors to disrupt the formal waste management system. He urged residents, traders, and businesses in the Ayobo-Ipaja area to support the state's waste management efforts by patronizing their assigned PSP operators and ceasing to dump waste on medians, roadsides, or other unauthorized locations.

LAWMA reaffirmed its commitment to promptly addressing environmental concerns throughout Lagos. The agency plans to complement waste evacuation with robust enforcement, improved collection systems, and continuous monitoring to prevent the re-emergence of illegal dumping hotspots. Gbadegesin called for public cooperation with LAWMA's teams, warning against any obstruction of their lawful operations, as environmental enforcement is a statutory responsibility that must be respected.

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We will not allow unauthorised waste collectors to undermine the formal waste management system.