•Appoints Akinyemi as Acting MD
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has sacked Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin as the Managing Director of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority, replacing him with seasoned administrator Olajuwon Akinyemi in an acting capacity.
The leadership overhaul, confirmed on Tuesday by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, forms part of a wider restructuring drive aimed at revitalising the state’s sanitation operations.
Alongside Akinyemi’s appointment, Dr. Tijani Olorunwa has stepped in as the acting Director of Operations, while Kunle Adebiyi retains his seat as Executive Director of Finance.
The sweeping changes come on the heels of mounting public frustration over uncollected refuse piling up along major transport corridors, residential neighbourhoods, and drainage channels across the metropolis.
Displeased with the slow pace of waste evacuation and delayed interventions, the governor ordered Gbadegesin’s departure to halt the worsening environmental and health risks facing residents.
Lagos generates an estimated 14,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste each day, placing significant pressure on the agency’s clearing and logistics network.
Beyond the MD shakeup, Governor Sanwo-Olu directed the mass redeployment of senior personnel between Salary Grade Levels 13 and 17 to the mainstream Civil Service, local governments, and local council development areas.
To safeguard ongoing operations and legal commitments, personnel within the legal unit are excluded from the transfers, while the heads of landfill operations, general operations and private sector participation have received a 90-day grace period to help steady the transition under the new management.
Akinyemi, an indigene of Badagry, brings extensive public sector experience to the post.
He previously served as the Director of Administration and Human Resources in the Lagos State Office of Infrastructure before his federal appointment by President Bola Tinubu as Deputy Executive Secretary (Technical) of the Universal Basic Education Commission.
His immediate focus will be on overhauling waste collection logistics, restoring regular disposal routes, and stabilising the agency’s operational machinery across the state.
