Lagos to replace aging landfills with recycling and waste-to-energy plants

Muyiwa Gbadegesin, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos Waste Management Authority LAWMA, announced this during a mid-year media parley. He noted that major dump sites have faced significant challenges, especially during the rainy season, with limited capacity and approaching their end of life. The state has undertaken engineering interventions to extend the operational capacity of affected sites and is developing alternative facilities.

This includes rehabilitating access roads and constructing disposal platforms, which has increased waste truck trips. LAWMA is also developing two transfer loading stations at Olusosun and Solous, with the Olusosun facility designed to handle 2,500 tonnes of waste daily in a controlled indoor environment. Once decommissioned, existing dump sites will be rehabilitated, potentially converting some into other waste management facilities.

Long-term plans include developing waste-to-energy plants, such as one in Badagry, expected to take three to five years to complete. Material recovery facilities, each covering about 50 hectares, are being developed in Ikorodu and Badagry to process bulk waste, separating it into organic materials for compost and plastics for waste bin production. LAWMA has increased its waste collection capacity with 10 new trucks an