The unabating tonnage of wastes in Lagos has reinforced the urgent need to move from traditional disposal methods to a circular economy model, as a sustainable solution to the city’s waste management challenges.
To this end, Environment stakeholders have called for stronger collaboration, policy enforcement and public participation to improve waste management in Lagos State.
Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos Waste Management Authority, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, made this position during the quarterly forum of the Property and Environment Writers Association of Nigeria, PEWAN, held in Alausa, Ikeja.
Describing waste management as a cornerstone of effective urban governance, Gbadegesin noted that handling refuse generated by over 22 million residents goes beyond routine operations. “Managing the waste of over 22 million people is not just a technical task, it is a daily test of how a megacity governs itself,” he said.
He warned that inefficiencies in waste management could trigger broader systemic challenges. According to him, “If a city cannot manage its waste effectively, it is only a matter of time before disorder begins to show up in many other sectors, from public health to infrastructure and economic confidence.”
Represented by the agency’s Executive Director of Finance, Kunle Adebiyi, the LAWMA boss advocated a transition to a circular economy, explaining that it prioritises resource recovery over disposal. “A circular system treats waste as a resource to be reduced, sorted, recovered, and reintroduced into productive use, making disposal the last resort, not the primary goal,” he added.
Also speaking, the President of the Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria, Olugbenga Adebola, called on the media to expand conversations around waste management beyond collection challenges.
Adebola urged journalists to focus more on underlying issues such as recycling, environmental sustainability, and urban planning, stressing that deeper public engagement is essential for long-term solutions.
In her welcome address, Chairman of PEWAN, Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie, said the forum was convened to examine practical solutions, including expanded recycling and waste-to-energy initiatives.
She added that achieving a cleaner city would require a combination of actionable policies, sustained investment, and a significant shift in public behaviour toward responsible waste management.
Reporting By Abiola Peters