The Lagos State Government says ongoing efforts to rehabilitate waste management facilities and expand its fleet of compactor trucks will soon ease delays in waste evacuation across the state.
The Managing Director of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, gave the assurance during an inspection of the rehabilitation of Road E at the Olusosun disposal facility in Ojota.
According to him, recent heavy rainfall damaged access roads to the facility, slowing the movement of waste collection trucks and causing temporary delays in waste evacuation in parts of Lagos.
Gbadegesin said the rehabilitation, being carried out by Zoomlion Nigeria as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, would restore seamless access to the facility, reduce truck turnaround time and improve waste collection operations.
He noted that Olusosun receives about 10,000 metric tonnes of municipal solid waste daily, making it one of the busiest waste disposal sites in Africa.
The LAWMA boss said the state remained committed to eventually decommissioning the Olusosun dumpsite as part of its waste-to-clean-energy initiative, but stressed that the transition would only take place after adequate alternative infrastructure had been completed.
He disclosed that two modern Transfer Loading Stations (TLS) are being constructed at Olusosun and Solous III, with each facility expected to process 2,500 metric tonnes of waste daily. Additional dumping platforms are also being created at Olusosun to reduce truck congestion.
Gbadegesin further announced that Lagos plans to acquire 3,000 compactor trucks over the next three years to strengthen waste collection across the state. About 150 new trucks, including smaller vehicles designed for narrow streets and hard-to-reach communities, are expected before the end of the year.
He said Lagos currently requires at least 2,000 operational compactor trucks to efficiently manage the volume of waste generated daily, adding that the expanded fleet would improve service delivery and support Private Sector Participants (PSPs).
Gbadegesin appealed to residents for patience, assuring them that the current waste evacuation challenges are temporary and would ease as rehabilitation works and infrastructure upgrades are completed. He also reaffirmed LAWMA’s commitment to delivering efficient and sustainable waste management services across Lagos.