LAWMA commends LG’s waste policing efforts

The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has commended local governments across the state for strengthening waste policing and grassroots enforcement.

This is contained in a statement signed by the Managing Director, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos.

Gbadegesin, however, encouraged councils yet to adopt the initiative to emulate their counterparts in promoting environmental compliance at the community level.

He noted that effective waste management required strong collaboration among state agencies, local councils, and responsible citizens.

He said that several local governments had taken proactive steps by establishing waste policing and monitoring structures within their jurisdictions, in support of LAWMA’s efforts to curb indiscriminate dumping and improve environmental sanitation.

He stressed that localised enforcement remained critical to sustaining cleanliness across communities.

He said that while progress had been recorded through enforcement actions, long-term success would depend on the active participation of residents in supporting compliance and reporting environmental infractions.

He called on residents to move beyond sharing images of dirty locations on social media and instead provide actionable information that would help authorities identify and sanction offenders.

He said timely reporting of illegal dumping, supported where possible by photographs or videos, would enable faster intervention and accountability as waste management challenges were largely driven by human behaviour.

Gbadegesin also called on social media users and content creators to channel public attention toward responsible civic engagement, emphasising that community vigilance was essential to maintaining a clean and healthy environment.

He cited a recent incident at Ladipo Market as an example of the impact of enforcement.

He explained that the apprehension of four individuals caught dumping waste illegally followed sustained monitoring and the temporary seal-off of a section of the market over non-compliance with waste management regulations.

He said the offenders were subsequently handed over to LAWMA operatives for prosecution.

He described the incident as a demonstration of how consistent enforcement, supported by market leadership and community cooperation, could significantly improve compliance and sanitation outcomes.