LAWMA withdraws waste operators’ licences over poor service

The Lagos Waste Management Authority has withdrawn the operating licences of six private waste collection operators over their failure to meet required service standards, as the agency steps up enforcement alongside efforts to get residents and communities more involved in waste sorting and recycling.

The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed the action in a statement posted on X, while a separate statement obtained by The PUNCH on Wednesday said LAWMA was distributing 100 recycling bins to households at Osborne Foreshore Phase I and supporting a community clean-up in Ijora-Badia.

The six affected operators are K-HS Integrated Services, formerly Gboleybos Nigeria Limited, in Igbogbo-Baiyeku; Deshasat Enterprises in Olorunda; Bailas Nigeria Company in Ojo; Guestimate Environmental Protection Company in Orile Agege; Evabol Ventures in Ajeromi-Ifelodun; and Korad Closet Empire Limited in Ojodu.

Wahab said K-HS Integrated Services voluntarily withdrew from its service area, while the licences of the other five operators were terminated following regulatory assessments of their capacity to provide effective waste collection services.

The affected service locations include Ward C1, Slot A, Abosan, in Igbogbo-Baiyeku; Ibereko (LIMCA) in Olorunda; Sabo Oniba in Ojo; Papa Ashafa II in Orile Agege; Oluwa 1 in Ajeromi-Ifelodun; and Oke-Ira/Powerline in Ojodu.

No plans to relink the affected communities with alternative waste management services have been disclosed.

The action places renewed attention on the performance of Lagos’ Private Sector Participation scheme, through which private operators provide waste collection services across designated communities.

LAWMA’s description of the scheme says the authority is responsible for monitoring operators and assessing their technical and financial capacity.

Wahab said the state government would continue to strengthen regulatory oversight and enforce performance standards, adding that communities affected by the withdrawals would continue to receive waste collection services through “appropriate interventions”.

He said, “The decision reflects the administration’s firm position that every operator entrusted with the responsibility of serving Lagos residents must have the capacity, competence and resources required to deliver efficient and reliable services.”

The latest enforcement action comes as LAWMA also seeks to push some of the responsibility for waste management closer to households and communities through recycling, source separation and community-led clean-ups.

At Osborne Foreshore Phase I, the authority is distributing 100 tagged recycling bins to households under its Community Buy-Back Programme, while the LAWMA Academy is sensitising residents on how to separate recyclable materials from other waste at source.

The authority said the bins were being distributed through the estate facility manager and tagged for identification and accountability.

“The specific addresses and number of bins allocated to each sector are being captured and maintained as part of the project documentation,” the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Muyiwa Gbadegesin, said.

He said the initiative was intended to change the way residents generated, sorted and disposed of waste, rather than relying solely on evacuation after waste had accumulated.

“Achieving a cleaner Lagos requires more than collecting waste; it requires changing how we generate, sort and dispose of waste. We are supporting communities with the awareness and practical tools they need to participate actively in responsible waste management and recycling,” Gbadegesin said.

The authority also supported a community clean-up organised by the Sustainable Urban Future Development Initiative in Ijora-Badia to mark World Cleanup Day 2026.

Members of the Joint Abete Community Development Association participated in the exercise, which covered Adetola/Afolabi Aladia Street, Lawan Close and Caliberian Oladehinde Avenue.

LAWMA said the exercise tackled accumulated waste and blocked drains, with community leaders subsequently urging residents to take greater responsibility for keeping their surroundings clean and disposing of waste properly.

Gbadegesin said the authority remained committed to working with communities, estates and other stakeholders to promote source separation and recycling.

The government said it would ensure uninterrupted waste collection in the affected areas and urged residents to use only approved waste-management channels.(Punch)