Health
LASG, AWAMN plan reforms to improve waste disposal
By Anozie Egole
The Lagos Waste Management Authority has commenced a strategic stakeholder engagement with the Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria to co-create a comprehensive reform agenda aimed at building a more sustainable, accountable and high-performing Private Sector Participation sector capable of delivering efficient waste collection services across Lagos State.
LAWMA announced this in a statement over the weekend signed by its Director of Public Affairs, Mukaila Sanusi.
He added that the engagement, which was themed ‘Building a sustainable, accountable and high-performance PSP sector for a cleaner Lagos’, was held recently at LAWMA Headquarters, Ijora-Olopa.
Sanusi explained that the engagement marked the beginning of a participatory reform process through which LAWMA and PSP operators would jointly examine existing operational challenges, “develop practical solutions and produce a comprehensive roadmap for repositioning the sector to meet the growing waste management needs of Africa’s largest city.”
“The meeting brought together the leadership of LAWMA and executives of AWAMN to review the current state of waste collection services, identify operational constraints and initiate discussions on reforms that would strengthen efficiency, accountability and long-term sustainability across the sector,” Sanusi said.
Speaking at the meeting, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to working collaboratively with PSP operators to build a modern, “resilient and citizen-focused waste management system capable of meeting the expectations of a rapidly growing megacity.”
He explained that the engagement marked the commencement of a collaborative reform process designed to ensure that the eventual reform programme reflected operational realities and the perspectives of key stakeholders to enjoy broad ownership across the sector.
“Our objective is to build a waste management system that is efficient, transparent, financially sustainable and responsive to the needs of Lagos residents. We recognise the critical role played by PSP operators and believe that meaningful reforms can only be achieved through continuous engagement, shared responsibility and collective commitment,” he said.
LAWMA reaffirmed that the stakeholder engagement aligned with the vision of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to build a cleaner, healthier and more resilient Lagos through stronger public-private collaboration, institutional reforms and continuous improvement in waste management operations.
Speaking on behalf of the PSP operators, the President of the Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria, Dr Olugbenga Adebola, welcomed the initiative and described the engagement as a significant opportunity to strengthen collaboration between the regulator and operators while pledging the association’s full cooperation throughout the consultation process, and expressing confidence that the participatory approach would produce practical and sustainable reforms capable of improving service delivery and supporting the long-term growth of the sector.
To guide the ongoing reform process, the meeting identified several priority areas to be developed, through the consultative process, into a comprehensive reform programme aimed at strengthening the efficiency, sustainability and competitiveness of the PSP sector.
These thematic areas include performance-based regulation, route rationalisation, financial sustainability, improved payment compliance, fleet renewal, as well as technology-driven service monitoring and enhanced enforcement against illegal waste operators, while other focuses of the reform are improved landfill operations, recycling and resource recovery, customer service standards and stronger institutional governance.
To advance the process, the meeting resolved to establish joint technical working groups comprising representatives of LAWMA and AWAMN to refine the proposals, define data requirements, develop implementation options and submit recommendations that would form the basis of the final reform agenda.
Copyright PUNCH
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: [email protected]