By Olasunkanmi Akoni
EFFORTs to enhance effective management of solid waste in Lagos State recently a got a massive boost with the unveiling of a 24-metric tonne hydroclave waste medical treatment plant by Governor Babatunde Fashola. The plant, located in Oshodi area of the state, is said to be the first in West Africa  and the second waste Transfer Loading Station, TLS with 1000 metric tonnes capacity.

Gov. Fashola had in 2009 unveiled the first of the three awarded TLS at Simpson, Lagos Island, which has continued to attract visitors from within and outside Nigeria.

The Simpson TLS has an installed capacity of 1,000 metric tonnes; that is, 90 tonnes per hour of waste generated daily in the metropolis and to be operated between the hours of 6 am and 6pm.

The Oshodi TLS built and to be managed by Lagos State Waste Management Authority, LAWMA is expected to generate over 200 employments, directly and indirectly. It is the second in the series of 20 proposed stations to improve waste collection efficiency in the state within the next 10 years.  The Oshodi location, therefore, is to enhance waste management from the point of generation within such areas as Oshodi, Isolo, Mushin, Anthony, Mafoluku, Mile 2, Amuwo Odofin, Okota and Ilupeju.

The facility derived its concept from the holistic approach for the implementation of waste management strategic plan for Lagos megacity. The strategic plan proposed a total of 20 transfer stations for Lagos State within the next 10 years.

The TLS is conceived to reduce the reliance on traditional treatment of waste through landfill. The consciousness for the premium placed on value of land, the Lagos topography, population density and traffic management makes it compelling to adopt this modern option of waste treatment in a typical metropolitan city like Lagos.

Speaking at the commissioning, Gov. Fashola stressed that the strategy was to clean up Lagos and manage waste disposal more effectively by using TLS even at night to prevent trucks from being caught in the traffic. He said: “Even as the first TLS at Simpson, on Lagos Island continues to be busy, the Oshodi TLS, into which we have incorporated a medical waste treatment plant, will  deal with medical waste that have hitherto constituted a health hazard.

Encouraging investment

“Our work in this plant is not finished as we will be encouraging investments in the specialized medical waste trucks, like our PSP trucks, which will be collecting medical waste from various hospitals and health facilities for delivery to the site and prioper disposal”.

He further explained that when his government decided to clean up Oshodi, the investment in the TLS was one of the many reasons apart from security, the need to build the rail track to ease transportation and the desire to improve the image of the state and the country.

“The missing links in the regeneration and transformation of Oshodi, which is a strategic gateway into our country, are the Apapa-Oshodi- Oworonshoki Expressway, and the road to Murtala Mohammed International Airport which are in highly deplorable conditions”.

In his comment, Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, said the Oshodi Transfer Station is the second of the series of the 20 proposed by the government to improve waste collection efficiency from the point of generation within the catchment area listed above

“This measure will reduce the vehicular traffic to the landfill site, hence another major feat in our adaptation in mitigating climate change”.

Earlier, Managing Director of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority, LAWMA Mr Ola Oresanya, said the facility derived its concept from the holistic approach for the implementation of waste management strategic plan for Lagos Mega City.

Oresanya said: “The location of the TLS in Oshodi is to allow the waste generated in its environs to be deposited and warehoused before final transfer to landfill, especially at off-peak period.

“This project also encompasses the installation of healthcare waste treatment equipment which has a combined capacity to treat a total of 1000 metric tonnes of municipal solid waste and 24 metric tonnes of healthcare waste per day”.

Oresanya, reiterated the agency’s commitment to continue to uphold our mandate of ensuring clean and livable city as entrenched in the vision of the state government. This mandate will be sustained through creative solution and integration of indigenous ingenuity.

He said: “I want to reassure the Governor and Lagos residents that we are conscious of the enormous task ahead and to reaffirm our commitment to remain focussed on this endless tasked”.