Why LAWMA advocates updated waste management master plan for Lagos

The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has explained the need to update the state’s waste management master plan to align with emerging realities and the increasing demands of a rapidly growing megacity.

The Managing Director of LAWMA, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, said this in a statement made available to our correspondent on Friday in Lagos.

Gbadegesin said the state had operated a rolling waste management framework since the administration of former Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, which had guided reforms and improvements in the sector over the years.

He noted that evolving urban challenges, rapid population growth, and changing waste generation patterns now required a more comprehensive and forward-looking strategy to sustain progress and drive future development.

“What we are doing is building on an existing foundation. The waste management system in Lagos has evolved over time, and the current effort is to update the framework to reflect new realities and position the state for the future,” he said.

He said the updated Master Plan would provide a strategic roadmap for planning investments in critical infrastructure and system upgrades over the next 10 to 15 years.

Gbadegesin identified key priority areas under the revised framework to include landfill development, establishment of material recovery facilities, deployment of waste-to-energy systems and development of biogas plants.

He listed others as acquisition of mechanical street sweepers, and expansion of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework through PSP operators.

He added that the updated framework would support capacity building and encourage local manufacturing and assembly of waste management equipment, including compactor trucks and tricycle compactors.

Gbadegesin stated that the long-term objective was to transition Lagos towards a zero waste economy, where waste generation would be minimised while resource recovery, recycling, and reuse would be maximised.

He emphasised that such a transition would not only improve environmental sustainability but also unlock significant economic opportunities within the waste management value chain.

He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to continuous reform, strategic planning, and collaboration with stakeholders and development partners to build a more efficient, resilient, and sustainable waste management system for Lagos State.