Waste Management: Lagos Governor To Support Private Operators

The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has approved a 2023 budgetary plan to help Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators in the state to recapitalise by injecting new waste evacuation trucks into their fleet.

This is according to the Managing Director/CEO of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Ibrahim Odumboni, at a media parley, where he mentioned that recyclers would also be empowered to procure necessary tools.

Odumboni said that the recapitalisation was aimed at improving waste management in Lagos State, to make the environment cleaner and livable for residents, to cope with about 13,000 metric tonnes of waste generated daily.

He explained that the recapitalisation would help to address most of the challenges facing PSP operators, including the high cost of new waste evacuation trucks, which many of the PSP operators could not afford to replace their aging fleet.

According to him “The Lagos State Government’s plan is to provide the PSP operators with low-interest loans to purchase new trucks. The government will also provide technical assistance to the PSP operators to help them manage their fleet more efficiently.

It will also stimulate economic growth by providing opportunities for small businesses to thrive. By providing the PSP operators with low-interest loans, we are giving them the opportunity to expand their businesses and create more jobs.”

Odumboni said further that, “In addition to the recapitalisation, the Lagos State Government also plans to empower recyclers in the state.

The government will provide recyclers with the relevant tools and equipment needed to carry out their work effectively. This will include providing them with necessary equipment that will help them to sort, process, and recycle waste”.

“The aim of this initiative is to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills. By empowering recyclers, the government hopes to create a more sustainable waste management system in the state. We want to create a situation where waste is seen as a resource, not as a problem,” he stressed.

Do their job effectively

The state government’s plan for the PSP operators and recyclers was warmly welcomed by the stakeholders, who expressed their gratitude to the current administration for recognising their role in waste management and for providing them with the much needed support to do their job effectively.

He said, “The recycling that was launched by the present administration has come to stay as we now have over 100 recyclers, who are into the business of recycling. Also with the support of the governor, we engage community stakeholders of the 20 Local Government and 37 Local Council Development Areas to discuss sustainable waste management with them. We are in collaboration with our sister agencies, like LNSC, KAI, LASTMA and others to track, arrest and prosecute waste defaulters.”

Door to door campaigns

Meanwhile, members of the Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria (AWAM) in Lagos State have launched a door-to-door campaign in support of the re-election bid of the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

The campaign, which kicked off in Ikeja, and was held simultaneously across the state covering the 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas (LCDAs), was organised to sensitise residents on the need to support Sanwo-Olu’s second term bid.

Speaking during the campaign, the President of AWAM, Mr. David Oriyomi, thanked the governor for the support, especially on the plan to help PSP operators recapitalise and inject new trucks into their operational fleet, noting that under the governor’s leadership, the state has witnessed significant improvements in waste collection and disposal.

Oriyomi thanked the governor, for supporting the PSPs, adding that the waste managers have evaluated their performance over the years, and have mapped out areas of improvement, with sanctions for operators who refuse to comply.

He said that the door-to-door campaign by AWAM members is a demonstration of the association’s support for the Governor’s leadership style in the state and his efforts at continuously improving waste management in the state.

“We in AWAMN have 100% support for the Sanwo-Olu’s administration, he stood by us and we will always stand by him, “ Oriyomi added.

Executive Director Finance (LAWMA) Mr. Kunle Adebiyi in his remark, noted that the present administration had a huge scorecard in waste management being one of the largest employers of labour, urging Lagosians to show total support.

Lateefah Ibrahim