The Lagos State Government said it arrested and prosecuted 3,786 street traders, environmental polluters, and cart pushers in the last twelve months.
It is also committed to revolutionising the waste management process from a linear “collect and dump” system to a sustainable circular economy.
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed this while addressing the media during the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing held at the Bagaulda Kalto Press Centre, Alausa, Secretariat, Ikeja.
He stated that providing workable, practical solutions to the management of generated waste would ensure that a drastically reduced quantity gets to the landfill sites.
According to him, while the state generates over 13,000 metric tonnes of solid wastes daily, government has initiated the signing of several Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs) that would not only develop waste to resource opportunity but improved collection, recycling of solid and liquid waste as well as the establishment of a smelting plant for the conversion of electronic waste which will tranform Lagos as a leader in electronic waste recycling.
Wahab explained that the state government also signed an MOU with a Dutch firm, Harvest Waste Consortium, for the construction of a high efficiency 60-80 MW Waste-to-Energy plant on Epe landfill, which will utilise advanced technology to generate clean energy from municipal solid waste, commercial and industrial waste translating to the consumption of about 2,500 tonnes daily of municipal solid waste.
He added that the last MOU signed with Lafarge Africa/Geocycle will address the treatment of non-recyclable combustible waste and diversion of all waste from landfills, converting them into industrial energy, saying that all these, the collaboration would position Lagos at the forefront of waste recovery, recycling, and energy generation.
“Our attempt in the last one year is to ensure Lagos evolves into a megacity with sustainable waste processing, modernised landfill management, cleaner waterways, and structured sanitation systems,” he said.
He explained that Lagos had been pragmatic and decisive in transitioning to a sustainable circular economy by banning the sale, distribution and use of Styrofoam food packs, a major contributor to urban flooding and clogged drains with positive results recorded from subsequent drainage clearance process adding that the enforcement of the ban on Single Use Plastics (SUPs) has commenced from the beginning of the Year 2025 while the promotion of sustainable alternatives and extended producer responsibility is being advocated.
Wahab stressed that the government has continued to facilitate meetings with concerned stakeholders as regards the Ban on styrofoam and single-use plastics, adding that during the period under review, 351 cubic meters of Styrofoam containers have been confiscated, which translates to 123.95 metric tonnes.
To sustain a clean city, he said 15,000 street sweepers are deployed across highways, inner roads, and markets daily, whilst also ensuring stronger enforcement of environmental laws as well as penalizing indiscriminate waste disposal defaulters alongside several measures.
The Commissioner added that the government had also consolidated an enforcement campaign through collaboration with the sister paramilitary Agencies in line with the provision of the 2017 Lagos State Environmental Protection and Management Law to effect the arrest of almost 700 persons for highway crossing, which endangers their lives.
