Sanwo-Olu Declares Waste Management Emergency in Lagos

On Wednesday, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu declared a one-month state of emergency on waste management due to a worsening refuse crisis. This declaration followed an inspection of the Olusosun dumpsite in Ojota, accompanied by his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, and the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab.

Sanwo-Olu stated that the emergency was necessary to alleviate the difficulties residents face from poor waste disposal. Plans include increasing the Olusosun dumpsite's capacity to handle 350-450 waste trucks daily, up from 250-350, and enhancing the number of tipping points from two or three to four or five.

The governor also announced the reactivation of several waste disposal locations, including Solu 3 in Alimosho and Iwulepe in Ikorodu, with work expected to begin shortly. Additionally, the state government has ordered 160 new compactor trucks to improve waste collection efficiency across Lagos.