Sanwo-Olu orders immediate waste evacuation across Lagos

…as state battles 13,000-ton daily waste output
…deploys LAWMA, LASEPA

The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has ordered an immediate, large-scale evacuation of refuse across the state following growing concerns from residents over the recent accumulation of waste in several local government areas.

In a statement signed on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, the government acknowledged the environmental challenges and assured residents that the situation was receiving top-level intervention.

To address the backlog, Governor Sanwo-Olu ordered the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), and the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) to double down on their efforts and work round the clock to restore normalcy.

“Additional resources have been deployed to support ongoing efforts, while strategic interventions are being implemented to strengthen operational efficiency and improve waste collection and disposal across affected areas,” Akosile stated.

The administration attributed the temporary operational disruptions to the complex dynamics of the rapidly growing megacity, noting that Lagos generates approximately 13,000 tons of waste daily, ranking its output among the highest on the African continent.

Despite these challenges, the government insisted that substantial progress was already being recorded in several cleared locations, promising that more visible improvements would manifest across the state in the coming days.

“The government is firmly on top of it and is pursuing a comprehensive response designed not only to clear the current accumulation but also to reinforce the long-term resilience of the state’s waste management architecture,” the statement added.

While appealing for calm, the state government urged community leaders, market associations, and businesses to complement the ongoing emergency evacuation by disposing of their waste responsibly and halting practices that obstruct drainage channels and roadways.