Health
LASG gets community backing for waste recovery facility
By Ayoola Babalola
The Lagos State Government has secured the backing of traditional rulers in Agbowa-Ikosi and Owu-Ikosi to proceed with the proposed construction of a Material Recovery Facility in Agbowa, Epe Division, after addressing concerns raised by the communities.
The commitment followed a meeting convened by the state government with traditional rulers and community leaders on Monday, with the Abowa of Agbowa-Ikosi, Oba Owolabi Momson, and the Olowu of Owu-Ikosi, Oba Nelson Ogunlari, agreeing that work could commence on the project. The development clears a major hurdle for the proposed facility, which the government said was designed to expand waste recovery and recycling capacity in the area and reduce the volume of waste ultimately sent to landfills.
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said the meeting was necessary to resolve outstanding concerns before construction began, stressing that the government did not want to proceed with a project capable of generating avoidable conflict with its host communities.
“It is a major development we are bringing to that site, and we have been very deliberate about how we spread development across the State; this meeting is to resolve whatever the issues are,” Wahab said. Rather than viewing the proposed facility as another waste disposal project, Wahab urged the communities to see it as infrastructure capable of bringing broader development to the area.
Police bullet has made my right hand dead, made my life difficult – Lagos man0:00 / 0:00
He said the government was seeking not merely permission to enter the communities but “broad-based community acceptance and ownership” of the project, arguing that such buy-in was necessary for its long-term success. The commissioner said Lagos had a responsibility to provide sustainable waste management infrastructure across the state, but that responsibility would not override the need to consult communities hosting such facilities.
“We do not want to make any mistakes,” he said, stressing that the government would resolve the outstanding issues and ensure that “both communities are fully carried along”.
Wahab also assured the traditional institutions that neither community would be favoured at the expense of the other, saying the government was seeking an arrangement that would balance development objectives with the interests of the host communities. He commended the two monarchs for what he described as their willingness to see the “bigger picture” and put the development of the area ahead of concerns surrounding the project.
The state government said the positions reached at the meeting would be formally documented and communicated to relevant stakeholders, providing a basis for subsequent action on the project. The Permanent Secretary, Lands Bureau, Kamar Olowoshago, said the resolution was significant because it meant work could now proceed at the Agbowa site, just as construction had commenced at another location in Erekiti, Badagry.
The proposed facility is expected to strengthen the state’s capacity to recover recyclable materials, support recycling and improve resource utilisation, according to the Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Gaji Omobolaji. Gaji said the facility would contribute to the state’s efforts to reduce the quantity of waste transported to and disposed of at landfills, while forming part of the wider environmental infrastructure being developed by the Sanwo-Olu administration.
The project will involve several state agencies, including the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, the Lagos Waste Management Authority, the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development and the Lands Bureau, alongside consultants working on the development.
Responding on behalf of the communities, Ogunlari and Momson said they supported development initiatives capable of improving the communities but stressed that consultation with all relevant stakeholders must continue.
The monarchs said the communities were “not opposed to development”, adding that the presentation of the proposed project and its facilities had addressed their immediate concerns.
They, however, urged the state government to ensure that all the components contained in the project plan were eventually delivered.
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: health_wise@punchng.