Lagos Launches Task Force Against Illegal Waste Dumping on Roads

By Toochi Ejiofor

Edited by Bababunmi Agbebi

The Lagos State Government has inaugurated a Special Task Force to tackle indiscriminate waste dumping across the state, particularly on roads, bus stops, garages, and lay-bys.

The initiative will see members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) work alongside government agencies as “waste police” to monitor and report environmental violations. The task force is expected to keep their garages and motor parks clean while curbing illegal trading and refuse dumping within their spaces.

The move comes amid rising concerns over poor sanitation practices in one of Africa’s largest cities. According to the Managing Director of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, Lagos generates over 13,000 tonnes of refuse daily, placing enormous pressure on the state’s waste management system.

The directive was finalised during a stakeholders’ meeting at the State Secretariat in Alausa, bringing together top government officials, LAWMA executives and leaders of the state’s transport unions.

For decades, Lagos has battled a recurring waste management crisis. Drainage channels are often clogged with refuse, roadsides serve as illegal dump sites, and overflowing bins have become a familiar sight, leaving behind foul odours that Lagosians frequently complain about.

Markets across the state have also faced repeated closures due to poor sanitation and indiscriminate waste disposal, as the government continues to push for stricter enforcement of environmental laws. Only last week, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu ordered immediate waste evacuation operations across parts of the state following mounting concerns over refuse build-up in several communities.

With transport workers now drafted into the enforcement chain, the government appears to be betting on grassroots surveillance to strengthen compliance and improve sanitation.

But for many, the question remains: will this special task force succeed where several sanitation campaigns and enforcement drives have struggled to make a lasting impact?