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Lagos waste crisis: Sanuth denies LAWMA appointment as pressure mounts on Gbadegesin – EnviroNews
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Dr. Hassan Sanuth has denied reports that he has been appointed Managing Director of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), following reports that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu asked the incumbent, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, to resign over persistent waste management challenges across the state.
Sanuth, who serves as Director of Sanitation Services in the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, described the reports of his appointment as false and unfounded, urging the public to disregard unverified information.
The denial comes amid growing public concern over the accumulation of refuse on major roads, residential streets, road medians and drainage channels across Lagos, despite repeated government interventions to improve waste collection and disposal.
Reports published on Monday and Tuesday indicated that Sanwo-Olu had asked Gbadegesin to resign following dissatisfaction with the pace of waste evacuation. However, the reported leadership change had not been formally confirmed by the state government as of Tuesday.
The Lagos State Government’s position on the alleged appointment remains central to the unfolding development, as attention shifts to the immediate steps being taken to address the waste crisis.
Sanwo-Olu Declares State of Emergency on Waste Management
The reported leadership shake-up follows the governor’s visit to the Olusosun Dumpsite in Ojota about a month ago, where he expressed displeasure over the heaps of refuse across the state, describing the situation as embarrassing.
Accompanied by his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Sanwo-Olu met with stakeholders in the waste management sector to examine the factors disrupting municipal waste collection and identify immediate, medium-term and long-term solutions.
During the visit, the governor declared a state of emergency on waste management and directed a comprehensive review of LAWMA’s management and operational structures.
He also acknowledged delays in waste evacuation, attributing part of the problem to the failure of some Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators to fulfil their responsibilities in the weeks preceding the visit.
Sanwo-Olu disclosed that waste compaction was ongoing at the Olusosun and Solous 3 dumpsites, with the government expecting the completion of the work to improve waste disposal and evacuation capacity.
He said the interventions were intended to enable each facility to accommodate approximately 450 truckloads of municipal waste daily, effectively doubling the waste-handling capacity available to PSP operators.
However, the continuing complaints about refuse accumulation suggest that significant challenges remain in translating the government’s directives into consistent collection services across affected communities.
Residents Continue to Report Waste Accumulation
Residents in several parts of Lagos, including Mushin, Egbeda, Surulere, Ajegunle, Ikorodu, Ojo, Obalende, Apapa and Mile 2, have continued to raise concerns about decomposing waste along roads, residential streets and drainage channels.
The accumulation of refuse poses environmental and public health concerns, particularly where waste obstructs drainage, attracts disease-carrying pests or remains exposed for extended periods.
The situation has also renewed questions about the capacity of waste collection operators, the effectiveness of regulatory oversight and the adequacy of disposal infrastructure to cope with the volume of waste generated by Lagos’s growing population.
The crisis has placed renewed scrutiny on LAWMA, the state agency responsible for coordinating and regulating waste management services, including the activities of private operators engaged in household and commercial waste collection.
Gbadegesin Reports Progress in Waste Evacuation
Amid the controversy surrounding his reported exit, Gbadegesin published a weekly waste management update on his X account on Saturday, outlining progress in clearing affected locations and maintaining collection services on selected routes.
He reported that Mile 2 had been cleared, with routine collection sustained, while three additional trucks had been deployed to Doyin-Orile and neighbouring areas.
According to the update, 11 of the 15 routes included in the week’s programme had received field updates.
Daily collection was reportedly being maintained along Ijesha Road and Itire-Ikate, while Bucknor-Ijegun had been cleared and placed on a three-times-weekly collection schedule.
Gbadegesin also said Okeira and Oluodo had been placed under LAWMA’s interim service following the termination of their PSP arrangements, while waste collection continued at Ogolonto and Igbokusu.
Obalende had been cleared, provided with a waste bin and placed under surveillance, while clearance operations continued at Iraye.
The four routes awaiting field updates were Apapa, Abesan Estate, Idimu-Ejigbo Road and the Isheri-Igando corridor.
“The objective is to progress from clearance to sustained collection and prevention of recurrence, not simply remove visible waste,” Gbadegesin said.
His update highlighted the operational measures being taken to address the problem, even as public complaints and reports of his possible departure continued to circulate.
Gbadegesin was reappointed to lead LAWMA by Sanwo-Olu following the governor’s re-election.
Questions Over the Effectiveness of Waste Management Reforms
The latest developments come after LAWMA announced a series of measures intended to strengthen waste collection, improve accountability among private operators and reduce the volume of waste sent to landfills.
Earlier in October, the authority withdrew the operating licences of six PSP operators over concerns about their capacity to provide effective collection services in their assigned areas.
The affected operators served locations across Igbogbo-Baiyeku, Olorunda, Ojo, Orile Agege, Ajeromi-Ifelodun and Ojodu. LAWMA said the measures were part of efforts to strengthen performance standards, service coverage and regulatory oversight.
The authority has also pursued waste evacuation exercises, recycling initiatives and other measures aimed at improving environmental cleanliness.
Nevertheless, the persistent accumulation of refuse has raised questions about whether existing interventions are sufficient to address the structural challenges affecting the state’s waste management system.
These include the capacity of PSP operators, the availability of trucks and equipment, the efficiency of transfer and disposal facilities, the reliability of collection schedules and compliance by residents and businesses with approved waste disposal arrangements.
A sustainable response will require not only the removal of accumulated refuse but also reliable collection services, effective enforcement against illegal dumping, improved infrastructure and greater public participation.
Leadership Uncertainty Amid Calls for Urgent Action
Sanuth’s denial has added a new dimension to the uncertainty surrounding LAWMA’s leadership at a time when the state faces mounting pressure to restore regular waste collection.
While reports of Gbadegesin’s possible resignation have fuelled speculation about an imminent change at the agency, the reported appointment of Sanuth cannot be treated as established fact following his public rebuttal.
The immediate priority remains the implementation of effective measures to clear affected communities and prevent the recurrence of waste accumulation.
For residents, businesses and environmental stakeholders, the critical test will be whether the state can translate its emergency declaration into sustained improvements in sanitation, waste evacuation and disposal across Lagos.
The developments also underscore the need for transparent communication from the state government to clarify the agency’s leadership and provide the public with a clear account of the measures being implemented to resolve the crisis.
