LAGOS — The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, has called on residents to adopt responsible waste disposal and basic sorting practices, warning that indiscriminate dumping continues to create flashpoints that undermine cleanup efforts across the state.
Gbadegesin made the appeal on Saturday, January 18, 2026, while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, where he outlined the operational realities of managing waste in a fast-growing мегacity and emphasized that keeping Lagos clean requires shared responsibility between government and citizens.
He said LAWMA has sustained evacuation and waste management operations statewide, combining routine collection services with “persistent clearing” of identified dumping hotspots. According to him, many of these flashpoints are driven by poor household waste handling and illegal disposal, which he said can block drains, worsen flooding risks, and degrade neighbourhood sanitation.
A central part of LAWMA’s message was sorting at source—separating recyclable materials from general waste. Gbadegesin argued that basic sorting would improve collection efficiency, expand recycling throughput and reduce the volume sent to landfill sites, easing pressure on already constrained disposal infrastructure.
He also promoted a shift toward a circular economy approach, describing waste as a resource with economic value rather than “refuse” destined only for disposal. In his view, stronger recycling and recovery systems can support job creation, attract private sector participation and deliver environmental benefits, particularly where plastics, paper, metals and organic waste can be redirected into reuse streams.
On enforcement, Gbadegesin said LAWMA is intensifying compliance actions under Lagos environmental laws, noting that about 400 cases of environmental infractions were prosecuted in 2025. He cited recent convictions as evidence that penalties are being applied, including cases tied to illegal dumping.
Separately, The Punch reported in December 2025 that a Lagos court sentenced a resident to 13 months of community service for illegal refuse dumping in the Lagos Island area, reflecting the state’s broader push to sanction offenders through mobile courts and related mechanisms.
Gbadegesin urged residents to support enforcement by avoiding indiscriminate dumping and reporting violations promptly, adding that LAWMA will continue engaging stakeholders to strengthen waste systems and sustain a cleaner, healthier Lagos.
