The Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, has unveiled plans to radically improve the waste management system in the state, saying that the state government planned to establish Waste-to-Energy plants at Olusosun, Epe, and Badagry.
The commissioner made this known while speaking at a Waste to Energy Summit themed ‘Driving Environmental Sustainability’, organised by Rack Centre in partnership with the NYSC Community Development Service (CDS), and which took place at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja.
Speaking at the event, which brought together key stakeholders to discuss sustainable solutions to waste management challenges, Wahab, who was represented by the Managing Director/CEO of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, in his keynote address, emphasised the need for proper dumpsite management to mitigate environmental hazards.
The commissioner outlined LAWMA’s strategic plans to transform waste management in the state, by focusing more on recycling and introducing various initiatives such as the development of compost and bio-gas plants, to reduce the volume of waste going to landfills.
This was just as he quickly recalled that Olusosun dumpsite was then at the outskirts when it was established, saying that it was development caught up with it.
According to him, there is a lot of pressure on solid waste management, saying this had necessitated the need for the government to initiate plans that would help in “reducing the amount of waste dumped on the Olusosun landfill through recycling initiatives.
“When Olusosun was established, it was actually on the outskirts, but development caught up with it. There’s a lot of pressure on solid waste management, which is why we are working on reducing the amount of waste dumped on the Olusosun landfill through recycling initiatives.
“We are working on developing composting and biogas plants on the site. The future state is that we are going to decommission the Olusosun landfill; we are already in the process.
“Decommissioning the dumpsite is necessary to address long-term environmental and health impacts. In doing this, we are going to comply with international best practices,” Wahab said.
“Waste-to-energy plants will be established at the Epe dumpsite. The plan is to have three waste-to-energy plants in the state at Badagry, Epe, and Olusosun.
“We are exploring other alternatives to be used as landfills since we are working on shutting down the Olusosun landfill,” he added.
Head Sustainability Coordination, Rack Centre, Mr Adetayo Odusole, in his own remark, expressed the Cebtre’s enthusiasm for sponsoring the event, noting that Rack Centre was pleased to support the initiative as it aligned with its goals of achieving a sustainable environment in the state, emphasising that achieving such required a collective effort.
Dolapo Olaoluwa, the convener of the summit and a serving corps member, said he envisioned a gathering of key stakeholders to discuss solutions to the challenges posed by the Olusosun dumpsite and other waste management issues.
He said this effort was a way of contributing meaningfully to the community where he was serving.
Other speakers at the summit included: Ezekiel Egboye, Founding Executive and Chief Operating Officer, Rack Centre; Jide Onakoya, Chief Operating Officer, Elektron; Professor Emmanuel O. Ogolo, Professor of Atmospheric Physics (represented); Dr. Victor Abimbola Onifade, Senior Lecturer of Urban and Regional Planning; Olaide Ayodele-Taiwo; Assistant Chief Scientific Officer at the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA); and Yetunde Baderinwa, NYSC State Coordinator, Lagos State.
High point of the event was a panel discussion, where the stakeholders and experts discussed sustainable solutions to waste management challenges in the state.
