All posts tagged: LAWMA
The hardest part of starting up is starting out
MD/ CEO Lawma on a working visit to Ikorodu Transfer Loading station, Odonguyan under construction to test run the new locally fabricated Smokeless Medical Waste Incinerator. This facility has 4000kg capacity per load and it is also fully automated.
LAWMA’S WASTE CONTAINERIZATION CAMPAIGN GOES TO LEKKI, IBEJU LEKKI LOCAL COUNCILS … Residents tasked on attitude change
Residents of Lekki and Ibeju Lekki Local Councils, have been advised to acquire waste bins, for the containerization of their waste, pending evacuation by the PSP operators.
The advice came from the Managing Director/CEO of the Lagos Waste Management Authority, (LAWMA), Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni, during a stakeholders’ meeting held respectively, at the secretariats of the councils.
Odumboni who was represented by LAWMA’s Executive Director of Finance, Mr. Kunle Adebiyi, noted that a major cause of waste migration and indiscriminate disposal, was the non-availability of bins in most homes, warning that abatement notices would soon be served on defaulting homes while prosecution would follow early next year.
According to him, “Ownership of waste bins is a must for all homes and defaulters will soon get abatement notices, to be followed later by prosecution from January next year”.
The LAWMA helmsman also appealed to residents to change their attitude, as recyclable waste was a source of income, urging them to cultivate the habit of waste sorting from source, to reduce the volume of waste going to the landfills.
He said, “We have a mandate to visit all the 57 Local Governments and Local Council Development Area of the State, and that is why we have come to your community, to sensitize and enlighten you on the importance of proper waste management. Effective waste management in your community can help prevent the spread of diseases such as cholera, typhoid, lassa fever e.t.c. in your environment, hence, the need to have a bin in your homes, to shut out rodents getting in contact with your waste, and also to aid easy evacuation by PSP operators”.
Odumboni also charged the council to mobilize the youths in their communities for local policing, to monitor black spots and apprehend defaulters caught dumping waste indiscriminately.
He said, “I implore you to adopt the idea of mobilizing the youths in your communities to police black spots and apprehend violators, caught dumping waste indiscriminately in the environment. Also, there is value in those items we dispose in our homes, such as cans, papers, cartons, pet bottles, glass etc. Ensure you sort your waste properly before disposal and make use of the PAKAM APP to request for the pick-up of recyclables”.
In his welcome address, the Executive Chairman of Ibeju Lekki Local Government, Hon. Sesan Olowa, commended the effort of the Authority toward ensuring a cleaner environment, especially on the road medians, adding that the stakeholders’ meeting would bring a mutually rewarding benefit.
“I got the idea of Cleaner Lagos from LAWMA and decided to replicate it in Ibeju Lekki. So far, we have employed about 300 sweepers and 30 gardeners, who help in keeping our environment clean. Also, I have mobilized youth in Ibeju Lekki to police black spots and arrest violators caught dumping waste indiscriminately. These youths were specially trained by LAWMA, on waste policing and arrest of violators”, he said.
He added that the taskforce has been effective and defaulters are being arrested and fined appropriately.
His counterpart in Lekki Local Council Development Area, Hon. Bamidele Kasali in his remarks, commended the authority for ensuring a livable environment urging members of his community to appreciate the services of LAWMA, by patronizing assigned PSP operators, and also paying their waste bills promptly.
“I believe your visit to our community will be of benefit to us. I commend the efforts LAWMA has put in place to ensure our environment is always clean. I also appeal to the members of the community to reciprocate the services of LAWMA, by ensuring that they pay their waste bills promptly”, he said.
In attendance were senior council functionaries, traditional rulers and senior LAWMA staff including, AGM Performance Management, Mrs. Bimbo Opayemi; District Head West II, Mrs. Tawa Oyekanmi; and District Head East II, Mrs. Bola Adewunmi, among others.
Folashade Kadiri (Mrs.)
Director, Public Affairs
LAWMA
No one is exempted from paying waste bills – LAWMA MD
The Managing Director/CEO of Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni, has called on residents in the state to support efforts of the Authority to rid the environment of filth, by paying their waste bills promptly.
He said payment for waste services was very crucial to achieving the state’s vision of establishing a cleaner and livable environment, adding that no one was exempted from paying waste bills, regardless of occupation or societal status.
According to him, “We want to appeal to all residents in the state, to make it a duty to pay their waste bills. This is very important because the operations of service providers, rely heavily on people paying for waste services. As a matter of fact, nobody is exempted from this, including civil servants”.
“For the sake of emphasis, there is no section of the Civil Service Rule that exempts government workers from paying for services rendered by PSP operators. This applies to every other profession. We must take responsibility for the change we want to see in our environment. Anyone caught dumping indiscriminately under the guise of belonging to a particular profession, would be made to face the wrath of the law”, he said.
The LAWMA boss reiterated the Authority’s commitment to ensuring that every part of the metropolis was properly sanitised, adding that the agency had stepped up efforts to rid the environment of waste backlogs, through intensive morning and night operations.
He further stated, “We deploy thousands of sweepers, and waste collection trucks daily, across major routes in the city, as well as ensure that waste generated by tenements is taken care of, by PSP operators. We want to assure Lagosians that we will not relent on our efforts to make the environment cleaner and healthier for all”.
Odumboni said the Authority was also working with other sister agencies, such as Neighbourhood Watch and Motor Vehicle Administration Agency (MVAA), to check waste migration, a situation where some residents move wastes generated at home in their vehicles, and dump while transiting to another point.
Speaking further, he called on the populace to embrace the culture of recycling and waste sorting from source, which apart from saving the environment from plastic pollution, had numerous economic benefits.
He admonished residents to always bag and containerise their waste, while waiting for the arrival of assigned PSP operators, adding that the practice of waste containerisation would eventually help curb littering and indiscriminate refuse disposal around the city.
For complaints and inquiries on waste management issues in your area, please call LAWMA toll-free numbers: 07080601020 and 617.
Folashade Kadiri (Mrs.)
Director, Public Affairs
LAWMA Secures Jail Terms for Environmental Offenders
- Collaborates with police for arrest of cart pushers
Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has secured jail terms of two months imprisonment, for three persons, for various environmental offences, with a pending judgement for another person who patronised a cart pusher.
This is coming on the heels of the agency’s collaboration with the police to put a stop to incessant attacks on LAWMA’s personnel, ensuring prompt arrest of cart pushers and for those who patronise them.
The Managing Director/CEO of LAWMA, Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni, made the disclosure in his office on Tuesday, at Ijora-Olopa, noting that the working arrangement with the police, was aimed at sustaining the renewed offensive on all forms of environmental infractions and unwarranted attacks on the agency’s personnel.
He said, “Last week, we got jail terms for three environmental offenders, with a pending sentence for another person who patronised a cart pusher, making it an offence for anyone to patronise a cart pusher. Before now, we had warned unrepentant environmental violators about our renewed offensive, urging them to shun bad practices. But some people will never change. For three such persons, we secured jail sentences of minimum of two months while one is still pending”.
“I am also happy about LAWMA’s collaboration with the Nigerian Police to end needless attacks on our personnel on day or night duty. That collaboration is also to put an end to cart pushing, as any cart pusher found anywhere in Lagos will be promptly arrested and prosecuted, while those who patronise them will not be spared”, he stressed.
Speaking further, he noted that another set of 600 carts have been destroyed, bringing the total to about 3,000, in the last ten weeks.
He warned residents against patronising cart pushers, as both the cart pusher and the patron were liable, and would be accordingly prosecuted.
He said, “We have demolished carts impounded by our enforcement team in the course of their duty. This is to further reinforce our stance that the activities of cart pushers across the Lagos metropolis remain banned. We will not allow anyone or group of persons to undermine the ongoing efforts to establish a sustainable environment”.
Odumboni reiterated the Authority’s willingness to absorb willing cart pushers into the waste management system in the state, by offering them an opportunity to serve as uptakers of recyclable items, working hand in hand with other stakeholders in the waste management chain.
“The ill effects of cart pushing on our environment and security structure, mean that we have to eradicate it, to preserve lives and properties. Criminals now hide under the guise of cart pushing to carry out heinous crimes. However, as I stated earlier in the year, we are offering an opportunity to willing cart pushers to work with us, as offtakers, and by so doing have viable means livelihood”, he stated.
The LAWMA boss reaffirmed the agency’s total commitment to making the metropolis sustainably clean, urging residents to support the Authority’s efforts, by shunning improper waste disposal, paying their waste bills and patronising assigned PSP operators.
For complaints and inquiries on waste management issues in your area, please call LAWMA toll-free numbers: 07080601020 and 617, .
Folashade Kadiri (Mrs.)
Director, Public Affairs
23/08/2022
At Media Parley, LAWMA Boss Points Way Forward For Waste Management In Lagos
The Managing Director/CEO of Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni, has said that the agency was working on the creation of Transfer Loading Stations (TLS), in all the local government areas of the state, for fast and smooth evacuation of waste around the metropolis.
He also said that innovative strategies had been put in place to rejig the operational capability of the agency, for maximum efficiency.
The Managing Director/CEO of LAWMA, Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni, who said this at a media parley, at the Authority’s headquarters, noted that the event provided a platform for the agency to inform the public on efforts at tackling the daunting waste challenge in Lagos.
He highlighted the various gains made in the area of establishing environmental sustainability and clearing backlogs of waste generated in the metropolis, adding that the Authority was working assiduously to resolve prevalent challenges, through on-going day and night operations.
Odumboni noted that the Authority, through the support of the state government, had completed the rehabilitation of landfills in the state, to shorten turn-around time, for refuse evacuation and disposal, by waste collection trucks across the state.
“I can confirm to you that through the support of the state government, we have rehabilitated landfills in the state, to facilitate seamless waste evacuation and disposal. PSP trucks can now dump their wastes at the landfills without any hindrance. The impact of this development will be felt in the metropolis within five to seven days,” he said.
The LAWMA boss said the Authority was working with PSP operators to resolve some of the issues affecting their operation, especially the price of diesel, which rose by over 100% within the current year, adding that most of their operational vehicles run on diesel.
“One of the challenges we had was the rise in the cost of operation. We estimate by now that there are over 1,000 PSP trucks in Lagos and LAWMA has over 150 supporting trucks. Most of these trucks make use of diesel to operate, and the rise in the cost of diesel greatly affected the operations of PSPs in the state. Through the support of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, we will be having additional subsidy for PSP operators in areas where we have such challenges”, he stated.
He said the Authority would work with Community Development Associations (CDAs) and Community Development Committees (CDCs), as well as PSP operators, to review waste management charges in the state, in line with the present economic reality, adding that there would be wide consultation before the new tariff regime.
“The current economic reality in the country has made it necessary for price increase in waste management charges. To this effect, we will be increasing waste bills by 50%. We will also work with CDAs/CDCs and the PSPs, to review the charges and ensure proper implementation of the new tariff”, he noted.
He appealed to residents to procure bins to containerise their waste, noting that owning a bin would go a long way in tackling the problem of indiscriminate waste disposal, adding that it is mandatory for all tenements in the state to have a container for storage of their waste.
“Majority of households don’t have a bin, we continue to appeal to residents to procure waste bins to containerise their waste, for temporary storage, before evacuation by assigned PSP operators. It’s important for us all to have a bin of some sort. Let us teach our kids how better to behave. It’s mandatory for you as a household to have a bin. From the 1st of October, if you don’t have a bin, you can be prosecuted”, he stated.
He reiterated the ban on cart pushing, adding that the surge in waste dumping on roads and other unauthorised locations, resulted from people’s patronage of cart pushers, who dump waste indiscriminately in the metropolis, adding that the agency would integrate willing cart pushers into the state’s waste management system.
The LAWMA helsman hinted of imminent establishment of a “bottle-to-bottle” recycling centre, in partnership with a private company who would source their raw materials from the plastic waste generated across the metropolis, emphasising that Lagos would soon become the hub of recycling in West Africa.
He further said that the agency planned to set up 30 recycling centres across the state, by the end of the year, to boost the Lagos recycling initiative, which apart from its economic benefits, would mitigate the challenge of plastic pollution.
The president of Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria (AWAMN), Mr. David Oriyomi, said the price of diesel negatively affected their operation, but thanked the governor for the subsidy offered to PSP operators, stating the need for a review of service charges, in line with current economic reality.
Michael Joseph
Assistant Director, Public Affairs, LAWMA
10/08/2022
LAWMA WARNS AGAINST ATTACK ON ITS WORKERS
The Lagos Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, has warned against unwarranted attacks on its wokers, carrying out lawful duties of waste evacuation during the day or night time.
The Managing Director/CEO, Ibrahim Odumboni, gave the warning against the background of a reported attack by suspected miscreants on a LAWMA team, on night duty around Lagos – Abeokuta Expressway.
He indicated that any such attacks again, would be met with stiff official reaction, including prosecution, to deter such offenders.
He said:” We are totally disappointed to hear about attacks on our workers, on official duty. It is totally unacceptable and inhuman. LAWMA works round the clock to ensure our environment is healthier and safer for everyone to live. Our workers do not deserve to be treated that way. Anyone caught in such act again will be made to face the full wrath of the law.”
Odumboni urged the public to always cooperate with LAWMA workers, including the PSP operators, to keep the environment clean, for the good of everyone.
Michael Joseph
Asst. Director, Public Affairs
LAWMA
1st August 2022
LAWMA Academy Organises Summer School for Children
LAWMA Academy, the educational arm of Lagos Waste Management Authority, will organise a four-week summer school for children aged 8 – 13, from 1st August to 26th August, at its headquarters, Ijora-Olopa, on the tenets of effective waste management.
It is the second edition of the programme which debuted last year, aimed at educating pupils on effective waste management and environmental best practice.
The Managing Director/CEO of LAWMA, Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni, said the summer school was put together to groom the younger generation on the need to imbibe a positive mindset and outlook on environmental issues, during the holiday period.
He said, “The Summer School program is designed to educate children from a tender age on the concept of waste and environmental management, to raise ambassadors for a cleaner and healthier environment, with seasoned facilitators in a conducive learning environment. This will help to groom children as responsible environmental advocates while providing other fun-filled activities to aid the learning process”.
Odumboni urged parents and guardians to use the opportunity presented by the long vacation in schools to enroll their children and wards for participation in the summer school, adding that children who could not participate physically, could connect online.
According to the Team Lead of the Academy, Mrs. Elizabeth Ademola, the summer school program was structured to simplify the concepts of waste and environmental management to children, to ensure that every child had sufficient and holistic knowledge of issues bordering on environmental sustainability.
“Being an educative/social forum, we have designed various activities such as, classroom lessons, quiz competitions, essay competitions, debates, indoor and outdoor games, impromptu speeches, excursions, video games, Culinary classes, Field trips and Excursions, researches and experiments on waste management, career talks and lots more”, she stressed.
She further informed that registration for the free summer school programme would end on Friday, 29th July, 2022.
The LAWMA educational arm was recently awarded as, “The best in the promotion of environmental education to youths and students in the state”, at the 3rd edition of Lagos Waste Forum Sustainability Award, organised by Statewide Waste and Environmental Education Programme, SWEEP Foundation, at the University of Lagos, Akoka, Yaba.
Folashade Kadiri (Mrs.)
Director, Public Affairs
27/07/2022
LAWMA CLEARS WASTE BACKLOG
The Lagos Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, is clearing the backlog of waste around the city, largely through massive night operations.
The operations between the hours of 10pm and 4am, is personally coordinated by the Managing Director/CEO of the Authority, Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni, and have witnessed the clearance of waste indiscriminately dumped at some unauthorised locations following diesel scarcity and its exhorbitant price, which negatively affected the waste evacuation efforts of the PSP operators and the agency.
Some of the areas already covered by the intensive operations include Mushin; Oshodi; Ejigbo; Lagos Mainland; Apapa axis; Surulere; Lagos Island; Ikoyi; Lekki axis; Victoria Island; and Ajah, among others.
Recall that the LAWMA helmsman, few days ago, promised that the agency would use the opportunity of cessation of rainfall and appreciable progress on landfills’ rehabilitation, to cart away the backlog of waste.
Commenting on the progress made so far, Odumboni said: “Remember I said during the week, that we will capitalise on the cessation of rainfall and progress made on the rehabilitation of our landfills, to clear the heaps of waste.
“The strategy has paid off as we have successfully cleared waste in most areas of our Lagos Central 1 and 2, as well as East 1 and 2 districts. We are happy at the pace of progress, and the operations will continue, untill all parts of Lagos are covered”, he stressed.
Odumboni further appealed for support from residents to stem the tide of improper waste disposal, by bagging and containerizing their waste, as well as patronising assigned PSP operators, adding that those caught in the act of reckless waste disposal would be made to face the law.
“We are appealing for cooperation from all residents to restore sanity back to our environment. Bagging and containerisation of waste, while waiting for evacuation by assigned PSP operators, remains an effective means of curbing indiscriminate waste disposal. Anyone caught dumping indiscriminately would be sanctioned accordingly”, he said.
He enjoined residents with complaints and enquiries on waste management related issues in their areas, to please call LAWMA toll free lines- 07080601020 and 617 for prompt intervention.
Folashade Kadiri (Mrs.)
Director, Public Affairs,
LAWMA
24th July, 2022
Backlog of Waste to Disappear Soon – LAWMA MD
The Managing Director/CEO of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni, has given assurance, that the backlog of waste dotting the cityscape would be a thing of the past in seven days.
He said this while coordinating operational activities around the city, adding that LAWMA would exploit the gradual cessation of rainfall and appreciable progress on landfill rehabilitation, to achieve the feat.
Odumboni said: “Thankfully, the rains have subsided and coupled with the reasonable progress on rehabilitation at the landfills, all these are working for good to complement our efforts. I can tell you that in seven days, the backlog of refuse will be gone. We have re-energised our operational machinery, working in renewed collaboration with the PSP operators”.
He also stated that the Authority was working on a special arrangement with PSPs, to make sure that they rendered optimal service delivery, adding that the agency had been providing backup services in areas with noticeable service gaps.
“We are working on an arrangement to sort out some of the issues affecting the performance of PSP operators in the state, especially the issue of scarcity and high cost of diesel, which has practically undermined our efforts to rid the state of the waste backlog”, he stated.
The LAWMA boss urged residents to bag and containerise their waste and support efforts of the Authority to sanitise the environment, by shunning indiscriminate waste disposal, one of the major factors leading to flood disasters and other attendant environmental hazards.
Also speaking, the president of the Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria (AWAMN), Mr. David Oriyomi, noted that the PSP operators have a renewed commitment to their responsibility of maintaining a clean Lagos environment, despite obvious challenges, adding that the PSPs would stop at nothing to get the job done.
He promised that the PSP operators would continue to work closely with LAWMA, to discharge their statutory duties of evacuating waste generated by tenements in the state, appealing to residents to ensure prompt payment of their waste bills.
For inquiries and complaints on waste management related issues in your area, please call LAWMA toll-free numbers: 07080601020 and 617.
Kadiri Folashade (Mrs.)
Director, Public Affairs
19/07/2022
