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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Environment & Climate

Lagos to replace aging landfills with recycling, waste-to-energy plants

From The Punch · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Lagos State, Nigeria, plans to replace aging landfills with material recovery and waste-to-energy facilities.
  • The move aims to address the worsening waste management crisis, exacerbated by recent flooding and dwindling landfill capacity.
  • New infrastructure includes transfer loading stations and long-term waste-to-energy plants, with a focus on a circular economy.

Lagos State is embarking on a significant overhaul of its waste management system, planning to phase out aging landfills and replace them with advanced material recovery facilities and waste-to-energy plants. This strategic shift is a direct response to the escalating waste management crisis that has plagued Nigeria's commercial hub, particularly during the recent rainy season.

The capacity of the dump site itself to receive waste is limited now because it’s approaching the end of life. It can properly be called an expired landfill.

— Muyiwa GbadegesinMuyiwa Gbadegesin, MD/CEO of LAWMA, described the critical state of existing landfills.

Muyiwa Gbadegesin, the Managing Director and CEO of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), detailed the plan during a media briefing. He highlighted the severe challenges faced at major dump sites, including flooding of access roads and disposal platforms, and the critical issue of dwindling capacity. "The capacity of the dump site itself to receive waste is limited now because it’s approaching the end of life. It can properly be called an expired landfill," Gbadegesin stated, underscoring the urgency of the situation.

To mitigate these issues, Lagos State has implemented engineering interventions to extend the lifespan of existing sites and is developing new facilities. This includes the construction of two major transfer loading stations at Olusosun and Solous, designed to handle waste indoors and significantly reduce turnaround times for waste trucks. The Olusosun facility alone is expected to process 2,500 tons of waste daily.

So, all you are going to see with this transfer loading station is trucks going in, trailers coming out. You will not see the waste at all.

— Muyiwa GbadegesinGbadegesin explained the controlled indoor environment of the new transfer loading stations.

Looking ahead, Lagos plans to develop waste-to-energy plants, with projects in Badagry identified as long-term investments requiring three to five years for completion. Additionally, material recovery facilities are being established in Ikorodu and Badagry to process bulk waste and separate recyclables like organic materials, plastics, metals, and textiles. This comprehensive approach signals Lagos's commitment to transitioning towards a circular economy and tackling its waste management challenges head-on.

These are long-term projects, three to five years minimum, but the planning has already started for that.

— Muyiwa GbadegesinGbadegesin discussed the timeline for developing new waste-to-energy plants.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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