The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has deployed 25 trucks for emergency waste evacuation in Oshodi to tackle refuse buildup and improve environmental sanitation.
LAWMA’s Head of Private Sector Participation Services, Tunde Suleiman, disclosed this in an interview with journalists in Lagos on Sunday.
Suleiman attributed the buildup to high population density, increased waste generation, inadequate waste bins and low collection tariffs.
He said Oshodi, which has more than 350 streets, remained one of the local government areas with the lowest waste collection rates in Lagos State, with residents still paying N750 per room.
“We need to look at the rates. The people are still holding on to the old rates, which are not commensurate with the operational costs of PSPs today,” he said.
He added that the state government was reviewing waste collection tariffs across Lagos to address the challenges facing Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators.
Suleiman said the 25-truck deployment was supported by a working floor that could accommodate four trucks at a time. He added that similar interventions had begun in other parts of Oshodi, including Folorunsho Street and Oluwole, off Oshodi Road.
He said LAWMA had stationed a desk officer at the local government secretariat to receive and channel residents’ complaints. Residents could also contact PSP operators serving the area, including Excellence, Tunap, Buckler Enterprises and Pepet, through their offices.
Suleiman identified inadequate waste containers as another factor contributing to refuse accumulation and said LAWMA was promoting its “Adopt-a-Bin” initiative to encourage households to provide bins suited to their needs.
He urged residents to sort and recycle waste, particularly plastic bottles, cans and paper, to reduce the volume requiring evacuation.
The LAWMA official said emergency evacuation exercises were not intended to become routine but were necessary when serious waste management challenges arose.
He urged residents to pay appropriate collection charges, provide adequate bins and cooperate with LAWMA and PSP operators to improve waste management.
