…to bring back wole-wole from January 2026.
Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, Managing Director of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), has revealed that about 90 per cent of waste generated in Lagos has an estimated value of $2.5 billion, underscoring the state’s push toward a waste-to-wealth economy.
Gbadegesin said the huge value embedded in waste highlights the urgent need for residents to embrace waste sorting and recycling, noting that materials currently discarded could be reused by industries and informal recyclers.
“Nearly everything we throw away has value. When you visit Olusosun and Solous 3 landfills, you will see that waste-to-wealth is no longer an idea but a necessity for Lagos’ survival,” he said.
As part of reforms, the Lagos State Government has begun plans to decommission the Olusosun and Solous 3 landfills within the next 18 months, marking a major shift away from landfilling. Gbadegesin confirmed that the process is already underway and the state remains committed to meeting the timeline.
He stressed that environmental protection and public health are the primary drivers of the reforms, urging residents to stop indiscriminate dumping on roads and in drainage channels and to adopt waste separation practices common in advanced economies.
Meanwhile, Tokunbo Wahab, Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, appealed to Lagosians to maintain proper waste disposal practices during the yuletide season, a period typically marked by increased waste generation.
Wahab advised residents to sort, bag, and dispose of all waste, including food and animal waste, at approved collection points for evacuation by accredited Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators. He also warned against patronising cart pushers, describing the practice as harmful to the state’s waste management system.
The commissioner assured residents that LAWMA is fully prepared to manage increased waste volumes during the festive period and encouraged the use of LAWMA’s customer care lines to report illegal dumping, black spots, and other environmental violations.
He further warned against storing petrol and other inflammable materials in homes, shops, and markets, citing heightened fire risks during the dry season, and reiterated that environmental offenders would be prosecuted.
Gbadegesin added that the state plans to recruit 377 environmental health officers, popularly known as wole-wole, from January 2026. The officers will be deployed across all wards and empowered to arrest and prosecute sanitation offenders.
He reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to a cleaner, healthier, and flood-free Lagos, urging residents to complement government efforts through responsible environmental behaviour.
