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The Lagos State Government has announced a zero-tolerance policy against indiscriminate waste dumping on roads across the state and unveiled plans to establish a “Waste Police” to strengthen environmental sanitation and enforce proper waste disposal.
The initiative follows Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s directive for the emergency evacuation of refuse from roads and public spaces as part of efforts to improve environmental cleanliness and public health.
At a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Ministry of Transportation on Saturday, the Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi, said the state 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 ensure that roads, motor parks and garages remain clean at all times.
Osiyemi directed transport unions to maintain cleanliness within their parks and garages while discouraging indiscriminate trading and improper waste disposal in their areas of operation.
He disclosed that the Ministry of Transportation would soon commence enforcement operations to ensure compliance with environmental sanitation regulations at motor parks and garages across the state.
The commissioner stressed that Lagos roads must no longer serve as refuse dumps, announcing that the proposed Waste Police would comprise members of transport unions drawn from all local government areas. According to him, the operatives will monitor parks and adjoining roads to prevent indiscriminate dumping of waste and support government sanitation efforts.
Also speaking, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Sam Egube, said transport operators across the world partner with governments in safeguarding transport infrastructure, urging stakeholders to support the state’s renewed drive for a cleaner environment.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Hon. Sola Giwa, called on NURTW and RTEAN to fully embrace their responsibilities as partners in waste management by ensuring strict compliance with sanitation regulations at their respective parks.
The Managing Director of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, commended the transport unions for supporting the reintroduced environmental sanitation exercise, noting that effective waste management requires the collective efforts of government agencies and stakeholders.
He revealed that LAWMA evacuates approximately 13,000 tonnes of waste daily across Lagos, while transport unions convey an estimated 22 million commuters every day, underscoring the strategic importance of partnering with the unions to promote proper waste disposal practices.
Gbadegesin said LAWMA would continue working closely with transport unions by leveraging their widespread presence across the state to monitor roads, motor parks and surrounding communities, while encouraging them to promptly report cases of illegal waste dumping for immediate action.
The meeting was attended by directors from the Ministry of Transportation and LAWMA, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Transportation and Logistics, Hon. Hassan Adekoya, as well as representatives of LAWMA Enforcement, NURTW and RTEAN.
