LAWMA targets illegal dumpers with CCTV, New waste trucks

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) is stepping up efforts to curb indiscriminate waste disposal through plans to deploy surveillance cameras at strategic locations across the state and the deployment of 150 new waste trucks to improve refuse collection and evacuation.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, disclosed this during an interview on Lagos Talks 91.3 FM on Monday, explaining that the measures would strengthen surveillance, improve service delivery and promote responsible waste disposal.

Gbadegesin said the authority was also partnering with the Lagos State Command Centre to monitor environmental infractions within its coverage area, as part of a broader strategy to identify offenders and enforce compliance with environmental regulations.

He explained that the planned installation of LAWMA-owned CCTV cameras would complement existing monitoring arrangements by deterring illegal dumping and providing information to support appropriate enforcement action against offenders.

According to him, providing more waste collection equipment would not, on its own, guarantee a cleaner environment without sustained efforts to change public attitudes and enforce existing sanitation rules.

He stressed that improved infrastructure, public enlightenment and consistent enforcement must work together to address the persistent challenge of indiscriminate waste disposal across Lagos.

Gbadegesin cited feedback from a Mushin resident, Adegboyega, who acknowledged seeing LAWMA’s new compactors operating in the area, noting that visible improvements in waste collection could encourage greater public cooperation when matched with effective enforcement.

The LAWMA chief further disclosed that the authority’s house-to-house intervention was addressing accumulated refuse following the disengagement of underperforming Private Sector Participants (PSPs).

He urged residents to patronise approved waste collection services, package their refuse properly and report cases of illegal dumping rather than dispose of waste indiscriminately on roadsides, drainage channels and other unauthorised locations.

Gbadegesin emphasised that residents had a critical role to play in sustaining environmental cleanliness, adding that the government’s investment in waste management infrastructure must be matched by responsible public conduct.

Waste-to-energy initiative gains attention

Beyond waste collection and enforcement, Gbadegesin highlighted the state’s plans to turn waste into useful resources, including energy, as part of efforts to promote a circular economy.

He referenced the State Steering Committee established to advance the proposed biogas plant, alongside wider plans to develop waste-to-energy solutions that could reduce dependence on conventional disposal methods and recover value from organic waste.

He said the authority was also pursuing improvements to waste transfer and resource recovery infrastructure, including Transfer Loading Stations and Material Recovery Facilities, to strengthen waste handling, sorting and recycling.

The initiatives are intended to improve the management of waste across the state while creating opportunities to recover reusable materials and convert suitable waste streams into valuable resources.

Gbadegesin reaffirmed LAWMA’s commitment to combining technology, enforcement, public advocacy and improved service delivery to discourage illegal dumping and improve environmental sanitation.

He called on residents, businesses and other stakeholders to support the initiatives by complying with waste disposal regulations and using authorised collection services.

The authority maintained that achieving a cleaner Lagos would require sustained cooperation between government agencies, waste service providers and residents, alongside stronger monitoring and more efficient refuse collection.