The Lagos State government says it has initiated Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) to develop waste-to-resource opportunities and improve collection, recycling, and the establishment of a smelting plant.
According to the government, the smelting plant would recycle and convert electronic waste in a push to revolutionise the waste management process from a linear ‘collect and dump’ system to a sustainable circular economy.
Tokunbo Wahab, Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, said this at a media briefing on Friday, to mark the second year of the second term of the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration.
According to Wahab, the government is working to provide a workable solution that ensures a quantum of the 13,000 metric waste generated daily in the state gets to landfill sites.
Wahab disclosed that the state government has signed an MOU with a Dutch firm, Harvest Waste Consortium, for the construction of a high efficiency 60-80 MW Waste-to-Energy plant on Epe landfill, which would utilise advanced technology to generate clean energy from municipal solid waste, commercial and industrial waste translating to the consumption of about 2,500 tonnes daily of municipal solid waste.
He added that the last MOU signed with Lafarge Africa/Geocycle would address the treatment of non-recyclable combustible waste and diversion of all waste from landfills, converting them into industrial energy, saying that all these, and the collaboration, would position Lagos at the forefront of waste recovery, recycling and energy generation.
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“Our attempt in the last one year is to ensure Lagos evolves into a megacity with sustainable waste processing, modernised landfill management, cleaner waterways and structured Sanitation systems”, he said.
He explained that Lagos had been pragmatic and decisive in transitioning to a sustainable circular economy by banning the sale, distribution and use of Styrofoam food packs, a major contributor to urban flooding and clogged drains with positive results recorded from subsequent drainage clearance process adding that the enforcement of the ban on Single Use Plastics (SUPs) has commenced from the beginning of the Year 2025 while the promotion of sustainable alternatives and extended producer responsibility is being advocated.
He stressed that the government has continued to facilitate meetings with concerned stakeholders as regards the Ban on styrofoam and single-use plastics, adding that during the period under review, 351 cubic meters of Styrofoam containers have been confiscated, which translates to 123.95 metric tonnes.
He said to sustain a clean city, 15,000 street sweepers are deployed across highways, inner roads and markets daily, whilst also ensuring stronger enforcement of environmental laws as well as penalising indiscriminate waste disposal defaulters alongside several measures.
The commissioner added that the government had also consolidated an enforcement campaign through collaboration with the sister paramilitary Agencies in line with the provision of the 2017 Lagos State Environmental Protection and Management Law to effect the arrest of almost 700 persons for highway crossing which endangers their lives.
