The Lagos State Government has defended its waste management efforts following criticism of the state’s handling of refuse and flooding by African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour.
The government said the scale of Lagos’ waste challenge required a broader approach than simply clearing refuse after it accumulated, pointing to ongoing investments in collection, disposal, recycling and waste-to-energy infrastructure.
Lagos generates about 17,000 tonnes of waste daily, according to a recent government estimate, while the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and its licensed private-sector operators evacuated 418,500 tonnes in May 2026, averaging 13,200 tonnes daily.
The government acknowledged that some residents still experience collection delays and that some private-sector participation operators have underperformed.
It, however, said waste management was an interconnected system in which delays at disposal facilities could affect truck turnaround times, disrupt collection schedules and contribute to refuse accumulation in communities.
At the Olusosun disposal facility, the government said rehabilitation of Road E and the addition of disposal platforms had improved operations.
It said truck movements across disposal facilities rose to 1,866 in the week after the intervention, while trips at Olusosun increased from 574 to 1,012.
The state also highlighted plans to expand modern transfer loading stations, material recovery facilities, recycling and composting, alongside the Epe waste-to-energy project.
According to the government, the long-term objective is to move Lagos away from the traditional “pick-and-dump” model towards a system that can recover materials and generate energy and economic value from waste.
It also said efforts were underway to improve data collection across the waste management system through property enumeration, geocoded service locations, GPS tracking, weighbridge measurements, collection records and recovery data.
The government said it was also reviewing the PSP system and would sanction or terminate operators where necessary.
The response comes after Rhodes-Vivour raised concerns about waste management, flooding and other challenges affecting Lagos during an appearance on Politics Today.
The ADC candidate has proposed changes to waste management, drainage and other areas as part of his campaign ahead of the 2027 Lagos governorship election.
