The Managing Director/CEO of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, has called on private organizations and residents to adopt streets and communities as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to enhance environmental cleanliness across Lagos State.
Dr. Gbadegesin who spoke on both Lagos Television’s “The Conversation” and Channels TV’s “Sunrise” programs emphasised the importance of community involvement in maintaining sanitation, urging businesses and individuals to play a more active role in the cleanliness of their immediate environments.
“Adopting a street or community is an excellent way for organizations to contribute meaningfully to the city’s cleanliness efforts. It goes beyond just placing bins; it’s about taking responsibility for the cleanliness and maintenance of entire neighborhoods. This initiative will also serve as a strong CSR strategy, benefiting both the environment and the organizations involved,” Dr. Gbadegesin explained.
Speaking further, he linked the recent cholera outbreak to poor environmental practices such as open defecation and illegal waste disposal, stressing that these could be mitigated through sustained community sanitation efforts. He added, “Sanitation should be a daily habit, ingrained in our culture, and this is what we should be teaching our children.”
Commenting on the on-going community clean-up campaign by LAWMA and the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, he stated that, “What we are doing right now is sensitisation, and yes, the monthly sanitation exercise is coming back. We are going from community to community, engaging with local stakeholders, and addressing residents’ challenges.”
The LAWMA boss said that the Authority was moving on with the “Adopt a Bin” program, aimed at encouraging households to containerise their waste effectively.
“The new LAWMA smart bins are revolutionising household waste management. We aim for every home to have its own bin, making it easier for residents to properly contain their waste. To make this accessible, we have introduced a 24-month installment plan. What sets these bins apart is their smart technology: “Each bin is equipped with an RFID tag and geolocation capabilities. This allows us to track when bins are empty, ensuring efficient service from our operators,” he stressed
Gbadegesin also highlighted the state government’s collaboration with the private sector to enhance waste disposal facilities, including a memorandum of understanding with Jospong Group to build material recovery facilities and modern landfills in Lagos, adding that LAWMA was also working with local government authorities to establish community recycling centers, to provide residents with dedicated spaces to dispose of recyclables and receive incentives.
On LAWMA Academy, he said, “We are teaching the next generation about the value of recycling and the importance of maintaining a clean environment. Currently, we have an on-going summer school that will last for a month, and in the next few months, we are going to open a portal for online classes with certification on the LAWMA Academy website.”
He reaffirmed LAWMA’s commitment to improving the welfare of street sweepers, adding that the agency was implementing health insurance and skill development programs for its sweepers.
Folashade Kadiri (Mrs.) Director, Public Affairs 13th August, 2024
The Lagos State Government on Sunday emphasized the importance of good sanitation practices amongst all residents in order to ensure a clean, flood free, safe and sustainable environment across the state.
The emphasis was made by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab during the Weekly Community Based Environmental Sanitation Advocacy campaign held at Omobokun Street, Ekimogun Underbridge Iyana Oworo, Bariga Local Council Development Area adding that all residents must make good sanitation practices a daily affair.
He said the Weekly Community Based Environmental Sanitation Advocacy campaign was introduced to promote good sanitation practices amongst residents before the formal commencement of the monthly Sanitation Exercise.
“What we are trying to do is to ramp up sensitization and advocacy before the formal commencement of the monthly environmental Sanitation which will soon be announced by the Governor,” he said.
He mentioned that some houses in the area have been investigated and were found to have channelled their septic tanks into the drainages and some have built their fences on the drainage channels adding that these houses will soon be sealed by the appropriate Agency.
He implored residents to support Government effort through regular cleaning of the drainages in front of their houses and desist from the unwholesome act of illegal waste disposal saying it is expedient for everyone to take ownership of all infrastructure provided by the government.
On the issue of flooding experienced in the area, Wahab said government will reassess the claims by the community members that the sandfilling carried out at Oworo end is responsible for the flooding incidents encountered in the Ekimogun area, adding that government is determined to proffer a lasting solution to flooding in the area.
He maintained that the environmental advocacy campaign has been effective as the communities earlier visited at the commencement of the advocacy programme have been revisited and these communities have sustained the clean up and the communities are cleaner and healthier.
Wahab encouraged residents to embrace Good Environmental Habits stressing that this would reduce the burden on the health sector and ensure the effects are positive on the infrastructure provided by government.
The Chairman of Bariga Local Council Development Area, Honourable Kolade Alabi while speaking, said that Governor Sanwo-Olu commissioned the Ekimogun Road but it was disheartening that the road is in a sorry state because of the unsanitary attitude of residents.
“We the residents of Bariga must therefore stop littering our roads and canals with wastes, we must bag our wastes in our respective homes and always patronise the PSP” he said.
He said the government is determined to ensure the Environment is always Clean and as such every house in Bariga must own a bin which would be made available by the government at a reasonable amount.
The Managing Director Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) informed that Bariga Local Government has been identified as one of the Local Council Development Areas that will accommodate a recycling facility adding that the Waste to Wealth facility will reduce illegal waste disposal in the area.
He enjoined all residents to collaborate with the government to ensure that Lagos is free of garbage saying that waste bins will soon be made available to tenements in Bariga.
In her response, the Senior Special Assistant on Environmental Health, Bariga Local Government, Hon. Suliat Oguns pledged the support of people of the Bariga Community saying the community residents would ensure that waste is properly disposed and infrastructure provided by the State Government will be effectively utilised.
