Tuesday, November 18, 2025 - The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has reinforced its enforcement operations across the state, targeting indiscriminate dumping, black spots, and persistent environmental violations that threaten public health and urban resilience.
Speaking on the authority’s latest actions, the Managing
Director/CEO of LAWMA, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, acknowledged the waste management
challenges experienced in some areas of the state.
He noted that the authority remained firmly committed to
ending all forms of reckless disposal habits.
He said: “The state’s coastal geography makes enforcement
very important, to prevent environmental hazards. A bag of refuse tossed into a
drain anywhere in the metropolis does not disappear. It blocks culverts,
worsens flooding, exposes households to contaminated water, and sends plastics
and debris into our canals and lagoon systems. Illegal dumping has consequences
far beyond the act itself.”
He revealed that LAWMA has moved from episodic crackdowns to
a steady, intelligence-driven enforcement model that links surveillance,
community reporting, and swift prosecution.According to him, the authority has
intensified far-reaching enforcement campaigns across the state to stamp out
all forms of indiscriminate waste dumping, arresting and prosecuting
recalcitrant offenders to serve as a deterrent to others.
“Enforcement is central to our mission. Lagos cannot achieve
a clean, flood-resilient city without consequences for illegal dumping and
non-compliance. We are acting decisively to ensure there is no room for
environmental infractions,” he said.
He assured that the authority would continue to work with Private Sector Partnership (PSP) operators, providing backup services, especially in areas that need urgent attention, adding that the state government is poised to assist PSPs to recapitalise, ensuring optimal performance.
In a related development, LAWMA has announced the successful evacuation and enforcement operation recently carried out at a notorious black spot in Somolu Local Council Development Area (LCDA)
The LAWMA boss explained that the authority has fully cleared the accumulated waste at the location, which had long served as a dumping hotspot, while partnering with Somolu LCDA, Bariga LCDA, and the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) to secure the site and launch night and early-morning patrols.
He said: “Several offenders have already been apprehended,
with commercial tricycle operators featuring prominently among those caught
dumping illegally. This shows that advocacy and enforcement must be continuous
and backed by real-time surveillance.”
The chairmen of Somolu LCDA and Bariga LCDA have pledged strong collaboration
with LAWMA, assuring sustained advocacy and strict enforcement in line with the
Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources’ call for LGAs and LCDAs to
take full ownership of waste management in their jurisdictions.
To deepen public education, he said LAWMA has intensified
its radio programmes and social media engagements, sensitising residents on
recycling, proper waste disposal, the role of PSP operators, and penalties for
environmental infractions.
The LAWMA boss stressed that environmental protection could
not be left entirely to the government, urging residents to support the
authority’s efforts by acquiring covered waste bins for their premises,
avoiding indiscriminate waste dumping and cart pushers, and patronising
assigned PSP operators.
He added that the authority would continue to collaborate
with traditional rulers, market leaders, residents’ associations, and key
stakeholders in the drive to curb environmental abuse, appealing to residents
to report any suspicious waste movement.
“While enforcement is our duty, voluntary compliance is what
will secure the future. Lagosians must embrace responsible waste disposal,
because a polluted environment eventually harms everyone. Cleanliness is a
shared responsibility,” he said.
0 Comments