Waste: Lagos to convert Olusosun, Solus landfills into treatment facilities

The Lagos State government has announced plans to decommission the Olusosun and Solus landfills and convert them into treatment facilities as part of its sustainable waste management strategy.

Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, revealed this yesterday during a one-day Stakeholders’ Interactive Forum on Sustainable Waste Management in Victoria Island, Lagos.

Gbadegesin stated that the Olusosun and Solus landfills will cease to operate within the next 18 months and will be covered with geotextile materials .

He also outlined plans to construct transloading stations near the two landfills, transferring waste to recovery facilities in Ikorodu and Badagry.

He advocated adopting a two-bin system to improve recycling and address flooding caused by the indiscriminate dumping of waste on roadsides and in unauthorised areas.

Gbadegesin expressed concern that less than half of the three million households in Lagos have waste bins, highlighting the need for the agency’s ‘Adopt-a-Bin’ initiative.

“The adoption of the two-bin system will significantly boost recycling rates in Lagos, which currently stand at a meagre eight per cent,” Gbadegesin said. He also noted that households participating in the two-bin system could tap into the state’s $2.5 million recycling potential.

To strengthen waste management efforts, Gbadegesin announced plans to acquire an additional 100 trucks, adding to the existing fleet of 120 LAWMA trucks and 800 trucks operated by private sector partners (PSP) .

In his address, LAWMA Executive Director Kunle Adebiyi highlighted the challenges posed by rapid urbanisation, industrialisation, and population growth in managing solid waste.

He noted that Lagos generates between 13,000 and 14,000 metric tonnes of waste daily, making effective management a daunting task.

Adebiyi emphasised the importance of forums where stakeholders can collaboratively review workable solutions and refine strategies to effectively manage the state’s waste.

Quoting the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS), he revealed that fewer than 20 per cent of Lagos’ estimated three million households own or use standard waste bins, leading to indiscriminate waste disposal, which hinders the state’s waste management goals.

“We have continually supported PSP operators in their responsibility to collect refuse from households across the state,” Adebiyi said. “Our efforts are starting to yield positive results, reinforcing our confidence in achieving a sustainable clean Lagos.”

He underscored the critical link between effective waste management and public health: “Efficient waste management is a precursor to healthcare outcomes such as life expectancy and morbidity.”

LAWMA’s ‘Adopt-a-Bin’ initiative and public awareness campaigns have been introduced to encourage residents to take responsibility for proper waste disposal.

Adebiyi urged corporate organisations and high-income individuals to participate in corporate social responsibility by providing waste bins to low-income communities.

Permanent Secretary of the Office of Environmental Services, Dr Omobolaji Gaji, represented by Dr Hassan Sanuth, Director of Sanitation Services, called for greater stakeholder cooperation to address Lagos’ unique waste management challenges. He emphasised the need for immediate action in light of the state’s growing population.

“We cannot afford to remain stagnant with a rising population. Adopting these schemes will help tackle our environmental challenges,” Gaji said.