Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has reportedly asked the Managing Director of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, to resign and appointed Dr. Hassan Sanuth as his replacement amid persistent waste management challenges across the state.
However, the Lagos State Government had yet to officially confirm the development as of press time on Tuesday.
Sources familiar with the matter disclosed that the governor was dissatisfied with the continued accumulation of refuse on major roads, residential streets and drainage channels despite repeated directives to improve waste collection.
One of the sources said Sanwo-Olu asked Gbadegesin to resign over the weekend, although the outgoing managing director was reportedly seeking more time to address the situation.
“The directives aim at addressing the waste challenges in the state,” the source said.
Sanuth, before his reported appointment, served as Director of Sanitation Services in the Office of Environmental Services, under the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources.
The reported leadership change comes about a month after Sanwo-Olu declared a state of emergency on waste management following growing complaints about refuse accumulation across Lagos.
During a visit to the Olusosun Dumpsite in Ojota, the governor described the situation as embarrassing and ordered an overhaul of LAWMA’s operational structures and management.
Accompanied by his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Sanwo-Olu met with stakeholders in the waste management sector to assess the challenges affecting refuse collection and develop immediate, medium- and long-term solutions.
He attributed part of the problem to the failure of Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators to meet their obligations, while directing urgent measures to improve waste evacuation.
The governor also said compaction works were ongoing at the Olusosun and Solous 3 dumpsites, despite delays caused by fire incidents. He explained that completing the projects would enable each facility to receive about 450 trucks of municipal waste daily, effectively doubling the capacity of PSP operators.
Despite the interventions, residents have continued to report refuse accumulation in several communities, including Mushin, Egbeda, Surulere, Ajegunle, Ikorodu, Ojo, Obalende, Apapa and Mile 2.
The situation has generated complaints about decomposing waste along streets, highways, road medians and drainage channels.
A source said the governor was unhappy that the situation had not significantly improved despite his earlier directives. Gbadegesin was reportedly appealing for more time and seeking the intervention of prominent individuals.
However, in a weekly waste management update posted on his X handle on Saturday, Gbadegesin reported progress in clearing affected areas and maintaining collection services on selected routes.
He said Mile 2 had been cleared, while three additional trucks were deployed to Doyin-Orile and surrounding areas.
According to him, 11 of the 15 routes scheduled for the week had received field updates. Daily collection was being sustained on Ijesha Road and Itire-Ikate, while Bucknor-Ijegun had been cleared and placed on a three-times-weekly collection schedule.
He added that Okeira and Oluodo had been placed under LAWMA’s interim service following the termination of their PSP arrangements, while collection continued at Ogolonto and Igbokusu.
Obalende had also been cleared, provided with a waste bin and placed under surveillance, while clearance operations continued at Iraye.
Gbadegesin identified Apapa, Abesan Estate, Idimu-Ejigbo Road and the Isheri-Igando corridor as the four routes awaiting field updates.
He said the objective was to move beyond clearing visible refuse to ensuring sustained collection and preventing a recurrence.
Gbadegesin was reappointed to head LAWMA by Sanwo-Olu following the governor’s re-election.
### Who Is Hassan Sanuth?
Sanuth holds a PhD in Environmental Microbiology and a master’s degree in Microbiology from the University of Ibadan.
His research interests include epidemiology, biodegradation, bioremediation and environmental monitoring.
He also holds certificates in Environmental Monitoring and Modelling from the Institute for Water Education in Delft, the Netherlands, and Multilevel Water Governance from The Hague Academy for Local Governance.
With more than 23 years of public service experience, Sanuth has worked in several environmental management and protection departments, including pollution control, billing and monitoring, conservation, and ecology.
He also served as Nigeria’s focal point for environment under the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation-sponsored Collaborative Action for Sustainable Tourism programme in sub-Saharan Africa.
Sanuth is a member of the Science Association of Nigeria, the Nigeria Environmental Society and the American Society for Microbiology. He is also an associate of the Nigerian Institute of Management.