By Dipo Olowookere
Lagos State government has said that the ongoing reform in waste management will restrict the Lagos Waste Management Agency (LAWMA) role to only regulatory and monitoring while conceding policy implementation to private entities.
Commissioner for the Environment, Mr Babatunde Adejare, who disclosed this at the monthly press briefing of the Ministry, said this new direction in waste management would allow for the infusion of needed technology and resources into waste management through partnerships with world renowned waste managers.
He said further that LAWMA will close existing landfill sites in the state and replace them with engineered landfill sites.
Mr Adejare noted that the days when LAWMA veered from its traditional regulatory role into being a player in the sector would soon be gone since Lagos as a megacity has grown enough to have a proper waste management agency that would regulate and monitor the sector for efficiency.
According to him, “To revolutionalise waste management in the State, LAWMA will seize from playing the role of a referee and a player at the same time. This would enable us develop expertise, experience and efficiency in the sector through private sector involvement.”
“The existing Landfill sites would be closed and substituted with engineered Landfill sites. There would be the creation of transfer Loading Stations in Local Government Areas, deployment of over one million ultra-modern waste bins with censors to monitor their movement against theft”, he added.
