By Kingsley Adegboye & Olasunkanmi Akoni

Lagos residents had thought that the days of  refuse heaps on the streets of Lagos metropolis were over. What gave rise to this optimism was the various initiatives introduced by the Lagos State Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, to address the problem.

These included the incorporation of the Private Sector Participation, PSP, operators to collect and dispose refuse on behalf of the residents, introduction of highway managers to sweep the highways and the ban of cart pushers, to ensure proper disposal of refuse in the state.

But the recent return of refuse heaps on the medians of major highways and inner roads across the sprawling city, particularly at weekends, is heightening residents’ fears that refuse dumps are returning to Lagos streets.

For instance, on the Oshodi/Apapa Expressway, it is common to see heaps of refuse in locations such as the popular Cele Bus-Stop, Ijesha Bus-Stop, Mile 2 and Otto Wharf. These heaps of refuse are usually found on the median of the dual carriageway.

These areas are highly commercialised, which explains the indiscriminate dumping of refuse at different spots. Refuse dumps are also a common sight at different spots on the Lagos/Badagry Expressway, particularly the Okokomaiko stretch as well as Jakande Low Cost Housing Estate, Mile 2, Ojuelegba, Boundary in Ajegunle area of Lagos, Isolo, LASU/Iba Road, Alaba International Market, Ikotun and Makoko areas of the city.

In most cases, it was observed that refuse heaps were left uncleared for several days.

However, while some residents commended the efforts of road sweepers and PSP operators for keeping Lagos clean, others were of the opinion that the refuse situation in the metropolis had not met their expectation, especially for a city that prides itself as a mega-city.

For a trader at Cele Bus-Stop, Mr. James Akabogu, there is no reason for refuse heaps to continue to remain on Lagos streets considering the efforts of road sweepers and PSP operators who work virtually everyday, including weekends and public holidays.

He blamed those who still dispose refuse indiscriminately on roads, saying that they are sabotaging the efforts of others to ensure that the city is kept clean. Akabogu, however, noted that though the sweepers and refuse collectors are trying, they should do more.

Taofiq Salawu, a resident at Raimi Street, Orile, on his part, bemoaned the reappearance of refuse heaps on Lagos roads and the fact that they keep increasing. He added that if PSP operators are not forthcoming to collect refuse, LAWMA, the authority responsible for waste management in the state, should mobilise trucks to evacuate same.

According to Salawu: “When residents wait for PSP operators and they are nowhere to be found, they have no option than to deposit their refuse on the streets or any available space. It is all of us that will suffer it if there should be an outbreak of epidemic.”

Adebayo Ojo on Yusuf Adejumo Street, Alaba, said they have long been waiting for their PSP operator to collect their refuse but he has not shown up. He noted thus: “Our waste has been outside for days now; that is why people started emptying their dustbins indiscriminately because they cannot wait any longer. Sometimes some people dump in the drainage channels, and that is why we continue to have flood in the area.”

He, therefore, called on LAWMA to intensify effort to regularly clear refuse heaps in the area to avoid outbreak of diseases. Balogun Oke, a trader at Iyana-Iba market, Lagos lamented the filthy state of the market, blaming LAWMA for failing to put incinerators where traders can dispose their used products.

He said: “The filthy state of this market is worrisome because of the health implication, especially the danger this poses to human life. In fact, the LAWMA officials are to blame because I had expected them to provide at least six incinerators where we can dispose our waste.

But since a dump site is not provided in the market, traders are left with no option but to dump their refuse along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.”

Evelyn Ogaga, another trader in Boundary Market, Ajegunle said: “The LAWMA men usually come here once a week. So, that is why the road leading to this market is stacked with piles of rubbish.

Assuming they come everyday, this situation will be contained. On account of this this, we are usually left at the mercy of the Lagos State Ministry of Environment. Earlier this year, this market was closed for weeks because of the filthy state of the market. It was not until all the traders in the market contributed the N6 million fine imposed on us by government, that we were allowed to continue trading here.”

Most residents refuse to pay for services—PSP operators

Meanwhile, Chairman, Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria, Mr. Bode Coker, has blamed the return of refuse on Lagos streets on the attitude of some residents who, he said, often refuse to pay for services of PSP operators. He added that it is for this reason that many residents now choose the night to dump their refuse on the road.

According to Coker said: “I am not claiming that PSP operators are perfect, but the refuse you see on the roads in most cases are as a result of those who don’t want to pay for refuse collection. They don’t want to pay; at the same time, they cannot live with the refuse they generate. And because they must dump their refuse somewhere at all cost, they decide to dump refuse on the roads where nobody can claim responsibility”.

Mr. Coker said that due to the traffic situation on the Oshodi/Apapa Expressway, PSP operators now mop up refuse on the road only on Sundays. He said: “We say we want Lagos to be clean. To achieve this, everybody must discharge his or her responsibility towards making Lagos a clean city. Making Lagos a clean city is a collective responsibility. So, it is the duty of every Lagos resident to contribute to the cleanliness of the city. We cannot achieve a clean Lagos where some people are trying to make it clean, others are trying to sabotage the effort”.

To check the situation, Coker said PSP operators, LAWMA and local government councils in the state are trying to set up a monitoring team to check indiscriminate refuse dumps in the state.

LAWMA boss reacts 

Managing Director of LAWMA, Mr. Ola Oresanya in his reaction dismissed the claim that refuse is gradually returning to the state saying: “It’s not correct that refuse is back in Lagos.” He, however, admitted that the refuse generation in the state has risen from 10,000 to 12,000 tonnes per day which is quite huge.

Oresanya attributed the increase to the cosmopolitan nature of the state with its attendant population explosion of over 22 million in a relatively small land mass. According to Oresanya, there are over 375 Private Sector Participants and over 950 refuse trucks, including LAWMA trucks.

He said that given the cosmopolitan nature of Lagos State, it was expected that large volumes of waste would be generated by the people regularly.

Oresanya who expressed determination of the state government in rising up to the occasion of ensuring filth-free Lagos, identified unwholesome attitude of most of the residents as well as indiscriminate dumping of refuse as a major challenge to the agency in recent times.

He    stated: “In Lagos we generate daily average of about 12,000 metric tonnes and you know what 1,000 tonnes looks like; 1,000 tonnes will fill 100 trailers. Lagosians still have this bad habit of throwing wastes from their cars and still dumping wastes in unauthorised areas.

Though the habit is reducing but it’s a major one and we are addressing it while we will continue to appeal to them, (residents) through sensitization and moral suasion.”