Lagos — The Lagos State Government has announced a zero-tolerance stance on indiscriminate waste dumping on roads and unveiled plans to establish a “Waste Police” to enforce environmental sanitation across the state.
The initiative follows a directive by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for the emergency evacuation of refuse from roads and public spaces to improve cleanliness and safeguard public health.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Ministry of Transportation, the Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, said the government, in collaboration with the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), had resolved to keep roads, motor parks, and garages clean at all times.
“Lagos roads must no longer serve as refuse dumps,” Osiyemi said, adding that enforcement operations would soon begin to ensure compliance with sanitation regulations across transport hubs.
He disclosed that the proposed Waste Police would be made up of transport union members drawn from all local government areas, tasked with monitoring parks and adjoining roads to prevent illegal dumping and support government sanitation efforts.
The commissioner also directed transport unions to maintain cleanliness within their facilities while discouraging street trading and improper waste disposal.
Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Sam Egube, stressed the importance of collaboration, noting that transport operators globally play a key role in protecting infrastructure and supporting environmental standards.
Similarly, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, urged transport unions to embrace their responsibilities as partners in waste management by ensuring strict adherence to sanitation laws.
The Managing Director of LAWMA, Muyiwa Gbadegesin, commended stakeholders for supporting the reintroduced environmental sanitation exercise, emphasizing that effective waste management requires collective action.
“LAWMA evacuates about 13,000 tonnes of waste daily, while transport unions move an estimated 22 million commuters. This partnership is critical to promoting proper waste disposal,” he said.
Gbadegesin added that LAWMA would continue to work closely with transport unions to monitor compliance and report cases of illegal dumping for prompt action.
The meeting was attended by key government officials, transport union representatives, and enforcement agencies, signaling a coordinated push to tackle environmental challenges in Africa’s largest city.
