The Managing Director and CEO of the Lagos Waste Management Authority, Muyiwa Gbadegesin, highlighted that waste management is a key urban governance challenge, impacting public health, flood prevention, environmental sustainability, and the city’s overall efficiency.

He stressed that successful waste management in Lagos depends on the joint responsibility of residents, operators, and government.

The LAWMA chief made this observation while presenting a paper at the recent annual conference of the Property and Environment Writers Association of Nigeria in Lagos, highlighting the challenges of managing waste in a megacity with over 22 million residents.

Speaking through LAWMA’s Executive Director of Finance, Kunle Adebiyi, Gbadegesin described waste management as “a vital urban governance challenge with significant impacts on public health, flood prevention, environmental sustainability, and the city’s overall functionality.”

He explained that licensed private-sector operators handle household waste collection across Lagos through a structured, area-based system regulated and monitored by LAWMA.

He added that over 450 operators currently serve communities across the state, emphasizing that the system’s effectiveness relies not only on operational efficiency but also on residents’ cooperation in practicing proper waste disposal and using their assigned PSP operators.

Gbadegesin highlighted that indiscriminate dumping of waste and the use of illegal cart pushers continue to undermine structured waste management efforts, leading to environmental problems like blocked drainage and flooding.

He emphasized that, as a coastal and highly urbanized city, Lagos needs a more disciplined and forward-looking approach to waste management, noting that improperly handled waste often finds its way into canals, lagoons, and other water bodies.

Gbadegesin added that, beyond waste evacuation, the state is gradually promoting sustainable practices such as waste sorting, recycling, and resource recovery, as part of a broader move toward a more efficient and value-driven waste management system.

He stated that this approach reflects a growing understanding that waste should not be viewed merely as a disposal problem, but also as a resource that, when properly managed, can support economic activity and promote environmental sustainability.