The Lagos Waste Management Authority ,LAWMA, has assured residents that the temporary delays in waste evacuation across parts of Lagos will soon ease as rehabilitation of Road E at the Olusosun Disposal Facility progresses.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, gave the assurance during an inspection of the ongoing rehabilitation works at the facility.
He described the project as a critical intervention that would restore access to the disposal site, reduce the turnaround time for waste collection trucks and improve evacuation operations across the metropolis.
The rehabilitation is being carried out by Zoomlion Nigeria as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility ,CSR, initiative.
Dr. Gbadegesin explained that recent heavy rainfall had damaged access roads within the Olusosun facility, restricting the movement of compactor trucks and contributing to temporary waste evacuation delays in some parts of Lagos.
He expressed confidence that the ongoing rehabilitation of Road E would restore seamless access and significantly improve operational efficiency.
According to him, the Olusosun Disposal Facility receives about 10,000 metric tonnes of municipal solid waste daily, making it one of the busiest waste disposal sites in Africa.
The LAWMA boss said the Lagos State Government remained committed to decommissioning the Olusosun facility, but stressed that the process would be gradual to prevent disruption of waste management services.
He noted that the facility would only be shut down after adequate alternative infrastructure was in place to handle the huge volume of waste generated daily.
Dr. Gbadegesin disclosed that two modern Transfer Loading Stations (TLSs) are being constructed by Zoomlion at Olusosun and Solous III. Each station will process 2,500 metric tonnes of waste daily—about twenty times the capacity of the existing Simpson Transfer Loading Station.
He added that LAWMA is also creating additional dumping platforms within the Olusosun facility to ease traffic congestion, reduce waiting time for compactor trucks and improve operational efficiency.
The Managing Director further revealed that the Lagos State Government plans to acquire 3,000 compactor trucks over the next three years to strengthen waste collection and evacuation across the state.
He said about 150 of the new trucks, including tricycle compactors for narrow streets and difficult-to-access communities, are expected before the end of the year.
Dr. Gbadegesin explained that Lagos requires at least 2,000 operational compactor trucks to effectively manage the volume of waste generated daily.
He added that the Transfer Loading Station model would be replicated across the state to modernise waste management infrastructure, reduce transportation costs and support the transition to a circular economy driven by resource recovery.
While appealing to residents for patience and cooperation, Dr. Gbadegesin assured them that the current delays were temporary and would ease as the road rehabilitation is completed and other ongoing investments in waste management infrastructure begin to yield results.
He reaffirmed LAWMA’s commitment to providing efficient, reliable and sustainable waste management services, while commending Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his continued investment in modernising the state’s waste management system.
Reporting By Innocent Onoh