By Augustine Akhilomen
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has directed the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and relevant agencies to intensify waste evacuation across the state in response to mounting concerns over refuse accumulation in several parts of the metropolitan.
In a statement issued on Thursday by Gboyega Akosile, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, the state government acknowledged residents’ concerns over the worsening situation.
According to the statement, the government “acknowledges the concerns of residents regarding the recent accumulation of refuse in some parts of the state”.
“We are not oblivious to the inconveniences and concerns occasioned by the situation. Lagosians deserve a clean, healthy and environmentally sustainable city, and this administration remains fully committed to delivering on that obligation,” the government said.
“Governor Sanwo-Olu has consequently directed an immediate scale-up of waste evacuation operations across the state, with relevant agencies and service providers working round the clock to clear backlogs and restore normalcy as quickly as possible,” the statement read
“Additional resources have been deployed to support ongoing efforts, while strategic interventions are being implemented to strengthen operational efficiency and improve waste collection and disposal across affected areas.
“Lagos is a complex and rapidly growing megacity whose daily waste generation of about 13,000 tons ranks among the highest on the African continent,” it stated.
“While occasional operational disruptions may occur within such a dynamic ecosystem, the capacity, determination and resolve of the Government to address them remain unquestionable,” the statement added.
“We wish to reassure residents that this challenge is temporary. Indeed, substantial progress is already being recorded in several locations, and more improvements will become visible across the state in the days ahead,” the statement said.
“We also urge citizens, community leaders, market associations, businesses and other stakeholders to keep supporting environmental sanitation efforts by disposing of waste responsibly and refraining from practices that obstruct drainage channels, roadways and designated waste collection points,” it said.
“This is not a situation that will be allowed to linger. The Government is firmly on top of it and is pursuing a comprehensive response designed not only to clear the current accumulation but also to reinforce the long-term resilience of the state’s waste management architecture.
It added that the governor specifically instructed the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, the Lagos Waste Management Authority, LAWMA,the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, LASEPA, and other agencies within the environmental sector to strengthen their efforts.
The government explained that Lagos, as a rapidly expanding megacity, generates about 13,000 tonnes of waste daily, one of the highest figures on the African continent.