By Sodiq Adelakun
The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has disclosed that nearly half of the 13,000 tonnes of waste generated daily in Lagos is organic, with about 6,500 tonnes posing a major environmental risk.
The Managing Director of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, revealed this during the unveiling of a new organic waste management initiative aimed at cutting methane emissions, boosting recycling, and supporting Lagos State’s climate action goals.
The initiative, developed in partnership with Proganics Limited, was launched at a stakeholder forum in Lagos. Gbadegesin explained that sorting organic waste at source is critical to building a cleaner Lagos, stressing that when sent to landfills, the waste generates methane, a greenhouse gas more harmful than carbon dioxide.
He said the project was a direct response to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s COP28 pledge to reduce methane emissions and advance Lagos’s role in the global climate fight.
He noted that Proganics had already established a 200-tonne daily capacity organic waste facility, using Black Soldier Fly technology to process food waste into animal feed and bio-fertiliser.
According to him, “LAWMA is also rolling out smart solutions such as RFID-tagged green bins and IoT sensors to track and evacuate organic waste from restaurants, hotels, event centres, and other major generators.”
He added that organisations that comply with the sorting policy could benefit from financial rebates.
Head of Corporate Strategy at Proganics Limited, Mr Augustine Ogee, said the initiative would not only reduce environmental hazards but also build circular economic opportunities by creating jobs, supporting food security, and promoting sustainable urban growth.
Similarly, the Head of the Climate Change Department at the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Dr Michael Bankole, emphasised that the project aligned with Lagos’s broader climate vision.
He said a clean city boosts public health, attracts investment, and improves quality of life.
Gbadegesin further explained that the Black Soldier Fly technology being introduced in Lagos has been successfully deployed in countries like Kenya and Rwanda.
He added that the use of smart bins for organic waste sorting would ensure efficiency and accountability.
In her goodwill message, the National Chairperson of the Property and Environmental Writers Association of Nigeria, Mrs Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie, praised LAWMA for its innovation in waste management and assured media support in raising awareness for a cleaner and healthier Lagos.