LAWMA seeks investment to strengthen waste system

The Lagos Waste Management Authority has called for increased strategic investment in waste management infrastructure to address existing gaps and support the development of a comprehensive Waste Management Master Plan for Lagos State.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Muyiwa Gbadegesin, made the appeal recently at the agency’s headquarters in Ijora Olopa, while receiving a delegation from the European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS.

Gbadegesin said Lagos currently lacked a formal waste management master plan but noted that the authority was actively pushing for its development as a long-term framework to guide planning, investment and sustainability in the sector.

He stressed that bridging infrastructure deficits across the waste value chain would require “deliberate and sustained investment,” particularly in landfill development, material recovery facilities, waste-to-energy projects, biogas plants and mechanical street sweeping systems.

According to him, further investments are also needed in capacity development and in expanding the Public-Private Partnership model through Private Sector Participation operators.

He added that promoting local manufacturing and assembly of waste management equipment, including compactor trucks and tricycle compactors, would improve efficiency and reduce operational costs.

“Strengthening these areas will significantly improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance service delivery across the State,” he said.

The LAWMA boss also underscored the need to scale up recycling and waste recovery systems, noting that establishing material recovery facilities in locations such as Epe and Badagry would reduce pressure on landfill sites and promote resource recovery.

He described Lagos as a rapidly growing megacity that requires “a structured and forward-looking waste management framework capable of addressing current challenges while preparing for future demands.”

Speaking during the visit, the leader of the EU delegation, Jacques Remy, commended LAWMA’s reform efforts and ongoing initiatives to improve waste management in the state.

Remy expressed the EU’s interest in strengthening collaboration with the agency, particularly in infrastructure development, capacity building and sustainable waste solutions.

LAWMA reiterated its commitment to working with development partners and stakeholders to build a more efficient, resilient and sustainable waste management system for Lagos State.