Commissioner apologises to Lagos residents over waste management challenges

The commissioner's apology comes weeks after PREMIUM TIMES published a special report documenting how mounting heaps of refuse had overwhelmed major roads, markets and residential communities across Lagos.

The Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, has apologised to residents over the state’s waste management challenges, assuring them that the government is taking steps to address the situation.

Mr Wahab gade the apology in a statement reposted on his official X handle on Friday from an interview on ARISE Television.

“We had a challenge and we are fixing it,” he said.

The commissioner’s apology comes weeks after PREMIUM TIMES published a special report documenting how mounting heaps of refuse had overwhelmed major roads, markets and residential communities across Lagos, raising concerns over environmental sanitation and public health.

The report examined the state’s struggling waste management system. It highlighted operational inefficiencies and infrastructure gaps that have hampered effective refuse collection.

It also featured recommendations by researchers from the African Cities Research Consortium (ACRC), including decentralised transfer loading stations, waste segregation at source and stronger regulation of the sector to improve waste collection.

Following the publication, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu ordered an immediate scale-up of waste evacuation across the state, acknowledging residents’ concerns and directing relevant agencies to intensify refuse clearance operations. He also promised longer-term reforms to strengthen the waste management system.

New strategy

Mr Wahab said the state was transitioning from its long-standing linear waste management system to a circular model that treats waste as a resource rather than waste.

According to him, the new approach is designed to improve environmental sustainability while creating economic value from waste.

The commissioner said the state had commissioned a food waste digester at Ikosi to convert organic waste into energy.

He said the project was piloted and funded by C-40 in support of the state’s vision for sustainable waste management.

The commissioner said the initiative was part of broader efforts to modernise waste management and improve environmental outcomes across the state.

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening waste management systems and ensuring cleaner communities for residents.