The Lagos State Government has given reasons for placing a ban on Local cart pushers’ collecting wastes across the State.
Making the disclosure during an interview on Arise News on Sunday morning, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab stated that the Lagos State Government has an agreement with a company to turn 4,000 tons of daily waste into compost fertilizers, creating wealth.
Speaking on the State’s waste management reforms, the Commissioner said Lagos has replaced the banned cart pushers with an organized waste system. He explained that the decision was made to promote a more structured and environmentally sustainable system.
“Lagos has banned those cart pushers. We had banned them in Lagos. And to say you banned them is not enough. You must let people see the timetable of what is in place that will replace them,” Wahab said.
According to him, the ban is part of the state’s broader waste management strategy to ensure proper collection and disposal through an organized timetable.
On the open waste dumping in some areas of Lagos State, the Commissioner pointed out that the Government is implementing innovative solutions to manage the city’s waste efficiently.
He said, “The bulk of our waste in this part of the world are composts. And that’s why I said, if you notice Lagos had signed an agreement. Even a consensual agreement with a company called Zoom Lion. And that is to convert 4,000 tons of our daily waste into compost fertilizers, which will be 55% of it. Then the remainder will be recyclable. Then what will end up in our landfills will be less than 5%.”
Wahab also disclosed that Lagos State is also taking steps to shut down notorious landfill sites in various locations in the State.
“That’s why we’re saying we are decommissioning some landfills that have become notorious.” Wahab said.
He emphasized that Lagos is embracing a forward-thinking approach to waste management, with a focus on sustainability and innovation.
“These are long-term plans. Globally, there are challenges around waste management. But the truth is, you have to be forward-thinking to understand that linear waste management system is not sustainable,” he said.
“It’s not environmentally friendly. Hence, you must see waste beyond that waste. You must be able to see waste as a resources. And that resource is inexhaustible,” the Commissioner stated.
He noted that the Government has always been committed to transforming Lagos into a cleaner, more environmentally responsible State through policies and programmes that make waste management both efficient and sustainable.