Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has directed an immediate expansion of waste-evacuation activities across the state in response to growing concerns about the accumulation of refuse in several communities and along major roads.
The governor announced the intervention on Thursday through a statement posted on his Facebook page, assuring residents that additional personnel and equipment had been mobilised to address the situation.
According to him, key environmental agencies, including the Lagos Waste Management Authority, the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, and the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, have been instructed to intensify refuse evacuation efforts across affected areas.
“I have directed an immediate scale-up of waste evacuation across Lagos following the recent build-up of refuse in some parts of our state,” the governor stated.
He added that environmental officials were working round the clock to clear waste backlogs, noting that extra trucks and personnel had already been deployed to impacted neighbourhoods.
“You should already see progress on the streets and we will not stop until our city is completely clean again,” he said.
The governor’s directive follows mounting public criticism over the increasing presence of refuse heaps in residential communities, road medians and major transport corridors across Lagos.
Residents in areas such as Oshodi, Isolo, Ajao Estate, Mushin, Idi Araba and Alimosho had recently raised concerns about delays in waste collection, warning that the situation could pose serious environmental and public health risks if left unresolved.
Similar complaints have emerged from communities including Ikotun, Idimu, Ejigbo and Egbeda, where residents said persistent waste accumulation and indiscriminate dumping continue to undermine sanitation efforts despite ongoing evacuation operations.
The waste management challenge has also been linked to operational difficulties within the state’s disposal system. Operators under the Private Sector Participation scheme have previously attributed delays in waste evacuation to congestion and prolonged waiting times at disposal facilities, particularly the Olusosun dumpsite.
Despite the challenges, Sanwo-Olu maintained that his administration remains committed to restoring cleanliness across the state.
“Lagos generates over 13,000 tonnes of waste every single day. Managing this requires a massive effort, but our determination to fix the current challenge is absolute,” he said.
The governor also urged residents to support government efforts by adopting proper waste disposal practices and avoiding the dumping of refuse in drainage channels and on roadways.
“As we continue this cleanup, I ask for your partnership. Please bag your waste properly and avoid dumping refuse in drainage channels or on the roads. We are fully on top of this situation. Let us work together to keep Lagos clean and safe for everyone,” he added.
The state government has in recent months intensified environmental sanitation initiatives through stricter enforcement measures, public awareness campaigns and investments in waste management infrastructure.
As part of these efforts, the Lagos State Lottery and Gaming Authority donated 10 waste compactor trucks to the state government on June 11 to strengthen waste evacuation capacity. The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said the trucks would be deployed to areas experiencing high volumes of waste and collection difficulties.
Authorities have also stepped up enforcement against environmental offenders. The state government disclosed that more than 4,000 individuals arrested for indiscriminate waste disposal across roadsides, drainage channels and other unauthorised locations within the past year had been prosecuted.
