Lagos Drowns In Garbage As CDWR Accuses Govt, LAWMA Of Failing To Manage Waste | Sahara Reporters

CDWR blamed the crisis on poor planning and inadequate waste infrastructure, particularly the state’s reliance on dumpsites in Epe and Badagry.

The Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR) has accused the Lagos State Government and the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) of failing to effectively manage refuse in the state, warning that the worsening garbage crisis could trigger a public health epidemic.

In a statement on Friday signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Chinedu Bosah, the group described the situation as a “serious refuse crisis”, alleging that several communities and major roads had become open dumpsites as waste remained uncollected for weeks or months.

CDWR cited Harmony Estate and surrounding areas in Aboru, Alimosho Local Government Area, where it alleged that waste contractor Urban Care sometimes takes more than 13 weeks to evacuate refuse.

The group also accused Oye Balogun Enterprises of billing residents for waste collection despite allegedly failing to provide the service.

CDWR blamed the crisis on poor planning and inadequate waste infrastructure, particularly the state’s reliance on dumpsites in Epe and Badagry.

“The operational dumpsites are located at the two extremes of the state and will take some trucks over 4 hours to reach, a 62 km or more distance in a chaotic Lagos, and sometimes still spend 2 days in the queue before off-loading,” the group said.

The group also criticised Lagos Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat’s explanation that the state now generates about 17,000 tonnes of waste daily, compared with the 13,000 tonnes initially projected. Hamzat has also cited a shortage of functional waste trucks, with the state ordering 214 additional vehicles.

However, CDWR argued that simply increasing the number of trucks would not resolve the problem without major improvements to waste infrastructure.

“The fact is that the dumpsites remain the biggest problem because the Lagos State Government did not only fail to plan for a mega city but runs an unsustainable refuse dumpsites system,” it said.

The group called for a comprehensive waste management system incorporating waste sorting, recycling and waste-to-energy technology, accusing the APC government, which has governed Lagos since 1999, of failing to plan for the state’s rapid population growth.

“In the first instance, the ruling party (APC) has been in power since 1999 and 27 years later, there is no proper planning and management of waste commensurate with the population growth,” CDWR said.

It also criticised the state’s monthly environmental sanitation policy, questioning the rationale for imposing sanitation requirements on residents while waste remains uncollected.

“Is it not ironical the same Lagos State Government that undemocratically imposed a monthly sanitation exercise on the people cannot regularly collect waste, let alone manage it properly?” the group asked.

CDWR urged the Lagos Government to urgently invest in modern waste infrastructure and called on residents to organise protests and other forms of mass action to pressure authorities to address the crisis.