The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) is working to shift the city away from its traditional reliance on dumpsites by expanding waste recovery, recycling, transfer stations, and waste-to-energy projects.
LAWMA Managing Director and CEO, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, shared this information Saturday during an interview on TV Central, stating that the reforms are necessary because Lagos produces between 13,000 and 15,000 tonnes of waste daily.
Gbadegesin explained that the new system would introduce Transfer Loading Stations and Material Recovery Facilities, where waste would be sorted and recyclable materials recovered before the remaining waste is sent for final disposal.
“It will reduce it by introducing facilities where waste can be transferred, sorted, and recovered for reuse or conversion to other useful products,” he said.
He added that the Transfer Loading Station at Olusosun is designed to handle about 2,500 tonnes of waste daily, with another facility planned for Solous.
The LAWMA chief noted that organic waste could be turned into compost or used to generate energy, while plastics and metals would be recovered for recycling.
“The strategy represents a shift from the traditional ‘collect, transport and dump’ approach to a system where waste is increasingly treated as a resource,” he said.
Gbadegesin also mentioned that LAWMA is exploring converting organic waste into biogas, with feasibility studies already underway for projects that could generate energy from waste.
He emphasized that Lagos can no longer depend indefinitely on conventional landfills due to its large waste output, limited land, and aging disposal facilities.
The agency also plans to improve waste collection by expanding its fleet of compactors and reducing the distance smaller collection vehicles need to travel to disposal sites.
Gbadegesin urged residents to properly store and dispose of their waste, warning that infrastructure improvements alone will not solve Lagos’ waste problems.
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