Lagos Environment Boss Wahab Warns Residents Off Unauthorized Waste Pushers

Tokunbo Wahab, the Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, has issued a stern caution to citizens against engaging the services of unregistered waste cart operators. Wahab conveyed this warning through a statement shared on his official X account on Saturday, highlighting that the activities of these informal collectors frequently lead to the indiscriminate disposal of refuse on road medians, thoroughfares, and into drainage channels. Such practices, he noted, carry severe implications for the environment and for the state's flood management efforts.

This advisory follows the recent monthly environmental sanitation exercise conducted in the Festac area of Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area. The event saw the participation of Deputy Governor Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, his wife Oluremi Hamzat, and various other key stakeholders.

The Commissioner emphasized that the state government is dedicated to establishing a more efficient, sustainable, and accountable waste management system. He stressed that the existing informal and unregulated waste collection methods employed by cart pushers actively undermine these strategic objectives. A section of the official statement reiterated the warning: “We must also discourage the patronage of unregulated cart pushers, whose activities often result in indiscriminate dumping on medians, roads and drainage channels, with serious consequences for the environment and flood management.”

Wahab further elaborated that residents’ willingness to pay for waste collection services is directly tied to the quality and dependability of the services provided by government-approved operators. He clarified that the ministry's current interventions are specifically designed to enhance the overall waste management system, ensuring it functions better for all residents. He stated, “We recognise that residents’ willingness to pay for waste collection is directly linked to the quality and reliability of the services provided. Our intervention is therefore focused on ensuring that the system works better for everyone.”

He also disclosed that the ministry is diligently working around the clock to resolve challenges encountered at various landfills, dumpsites, and critical waste collection points. Simultaneously, they are maintaining consistent dialogue with Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators to elevate service delivery standards across Lagos State.

Finally, the Commissioner asserted that achieving a cleaner Lagos demands a collaborative effort between the government and its inhabitants. He articulated that while the government provides leadership, essential infrastructure, and regulatory frameworks, these cannot substitute for individual responsibility. “A cleaner Lagos requires a collective effort. Government will continue to provide the leadership, infrastructure and regulation needed, but residents must also take responsibility by properly disposing of their waste and keeping their surroundings clean, not only on sanitation days, but every day,” Wahab concluded.