Lagos maintains transition from TLS to MRFs to raise diversion, eventual decommissioning of legacy dumpsites
Lagos is a coastal megacity whose environmental security and economic competitiveness turn on whether we can move—quickly and credibly—from a disposal-led model to a circular, service-reliable waste system. The policy landscape is changing: Lagos began enforcing a ban on categories of Single-Use Plastics (SUPs) and currently the State has announced a transfer-and-recovery realignment of the system—new Transfer Loading Stations (TLS) linked to Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs)—to raise diversion and enable the eventual decommissioning of legacy dumpsites. These and more were graphically demonstrated in a presentation by Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, Managing Director/CEO of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), at the Annual Lecture and Awards of the Property & Environment Writers Association of Nigeria (PEWAN) on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, in Lagos, writes, Editor Gentechnews, Tony Nwakaegho.
Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, Managing Director/CEO of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), said that waste management was central to the THEMES+ Agenda of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration.
Gbadegesin made this remark in his presentation while speaking at the Annual Lecture and Awards of the Property & Environment Writers Association of Nigeria (PEWAN) on one of the themes of the event: “The Place of Waste Management in Relation to the Lagos State Government’s THEMES+ Agenda”.
Gbadegesin said “I argue that waste management is not a peripheral utility but a cross-pillar enabler within THEMES+—Traffic & Transportation; Health & Environment; Education & Technology; a 21st-Century Economy; Entertainment & Tourism; Security & Governance; plus Social Inclusion, Gender and Youth (Lagos State Government, 2020)—and set out an evidence-based plan to align infrastructure, enforcement, producer responsibility, digital transparency, and inclusion with measurable outcomes for Lagos.”
He highlighted that unlike previous fragmented approaches, Lagos now possesses the legal and institutional framework—the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law (2017)—and a robust strategic framework in THEMES+, which explicitly integrates environment, technology, economic modernization, governance, and social inclusion under one comprehensive delivery agenda (Lagos State Government, 2020), adding that this integrated approach, underpinned by THEMES+, positions Lagos to holistically and effectively tackle its complex waste challenges.
He affirmed that the path forward is clear by first, align infrastructure with physics: shorten hauls through TLS, sort at MRFs, and publish what actually moves each day, hence public briefings outlined a pathway to divert ~2,500 t/day from Olusosun to an Ikorodu MRF and ~1,500 t/day from Solous III to a Badagry MRF, forming the fulcrum for phased decommissioning of legacy dumpsites once alternatives are proven (World Bank, 2024).
Second, he said make enforcement investable: the 1 July 2025 plastics enforcement can only “stick” if paired with recovery capacity, viable alternatives, and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) funding from obligated producers (Ezeudu, 2023; OECD, 2024).
Third, he said build trust through data: a unified Waste Management Information System (WMIS) that ties billing to verified service, tracks vehicles by GPS, reconciles material flows, and releases monthly dashboards (Stephan et al., 2025).
Finally, he said treat inclusion as a system requirement: formalize the informal recovery workforce with safer conditions, stable buy-back, and on-ramps for women and youth into MRF, organics, and fleet roles (Kasinja & Tilley, 2018; WIEGO, 2025). Delivered together, these shifts put waste at the heart of the THEMES+ promise.
According to him, the State’s forward-looking plastics stance is now fully operational as full enforcement of a ban on categories of SUPs below 40 microns commenced on 1 July 2025, following extensive prior notices and public sensitization campaigns (Lagos Ministry of Environment & Water Resources, 2025).
He noted that Lagos’ strategic imperative is now to effectively translate these robust national and state frameworks into tangible, street-level realities.
He explained that plastics, a ubiquitous component of this waste stream, constitute 23% of total composition and are a significant driver of the litter and drain blockage that exacerbates urban flooding (World Bank, 2024), while two legacy disposal sites—Olusosun and Solous III—continue to dominate disposal activities.
He disclosed that the Blue Box program, initially launched in 2019, provides a foundational framework for behavior change and source separation, which is crucial as new recovery assets become operational.
He emphasized that THEMES+ Pillar-by-Pillar: The Role of Waste Management—and What We Are Doing Waste management is not merely a service; it is a fundamental enabling platform for a thriving urban economy (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2024).
In Lagos, he said “its performance directly shapes critical aspects such as mobility, public health, innovation, economic competitiveness, urban place-making, governance credibility, and social inclusion. The THEMES+ framework explicitly clarifies these connections, and our programs are designed to convert these linkages into tangible outcomes across each pillar.”
Speaking on traffic management & transportation, the MD LAWMA noted that mobility in Lagos rises and falls with drainage performance, adding that when plastics and debris accumulate in channels, storm water has nowhere to go; the result is surface flooding, lane closures, and lost hours across key corridors (Wannewitz et al., 2024).
On health & environment, he stated that open dumping and uncontrolled fires translate into particulate spikes, respiratory exposure, and groundwater risks.
The record around Olusosun and Solous—from local monitoring to recent modeling—shows elevated particulate pollution and documented smoke incidents (Daramola & Makinde, 2024), hence reinforcing the need to shift to engineered transfer, recovery, and controlled disposal, paired with organics diversion that suppresses methane and spontaneous combustion.
He stated further that while legacy sites remain active, the Agency has instituted fire‑prevention patrols and rapid‑response protocols; as TLS and MRF capacity comes online and will publish near‑site air‑quality readings and incident logs for public scrutiny.
He stressed that behavior change succeeds when the system is simple, visible, and verifiable, noting that Lagos’ Blue Box experience provides a workable template for basic source separation.
“The next step is to make the chain digital so residents can see that their effort counts. We are standing up a unified WMIS that links billing to verified service, tracks fleets by GPS, and reconciles materials flows from TLS to MRFs and onward markets.
“The public‑facing layer will be a monthly dashboard showing coverage, missed‑pickup exceptions, diversion, and enforcement actions so journalists and residents can interrogate the same numbers we use to manage operations,” he added.
In making Lagos a 21st‑Century Economy, a modern waste system which is a materials economy is needed, he said, as it converts a disposal cost into recoverable value, supporting MSMEs in collection, sorting, organics processing, and logistics.
He disclosed that the State’s concessionary pathway explicitly re‑routes high‑volume streams through TLS→MRF, creating predictable feedstock for recovery and a platform for private investment and green jobs.
“We are commissioning the TLS/MRF network to specification and embedding throughput and diversion covenants in operator contracts. In parallel, we are aligning plastics policy with EPR so producer funds—via PROs such as the Food & Beverage Recycling Alliance—help underwrite MRF operations, stabilize buy‑back, and develop markets for recycled content,” he added.
Speaking on entertainment & tourism, which include waterfronts, beaches, and island communities that carry Lagos’ visitor brand, he stated that plastic leakage degrades those assets; conversely, visible improvements in litter control translate quickly into higher amenity value.
“The State’s enforcement of the ban on categories of SUPs (including items <40 microns) from 1 July 2025 provides a policy lever to reduce visible litter—so long as downstream capacity and affordable alternatives exist. We are tightening collection regimes for waterfront settlements and event precincts and standardizing beach‑litter audits at sentinel locations so progress is measured over seasons, not anecdotes,” said MD LAWMA.
He acknowledged that public confidence grows when rules are even‑handed and data are open, adding that illegal dumping, open burning, and plastic non‑compliance undermine State credibility; while predictable sanctions and transparent reporting restore it.
“We are tightening evidence‑led prosecutions with geotagged complaints and field photography; PSP contracts are being scored against route performance and exception rates; and monthly enforcement summaries will be published alongside operational KPIs so residents can see how compliance is trending.
“We are negotiating formalization compacts with cooperatives that pair stable buy‑back for priority resins with basic insurance, PPE, and paid training—creating on‑ramps for women and youth into MRF operations, organics processing, and fleet maintenance,” he emphasized.
On policy enforcement linked to markets, Gbadegesin noted that the July 1, 2025 plastics enforcement will not succeed on sanctions alone, adding that it must be paired with recovery capacity, affordable alternatives, and a functioning EPR pipeline that moves producer funds into Lagos’ system upgrades.
Lagos, he said, needs one source of operational truth and formal pathways for the workers who already recover a significant share of packaging in our neighborhoods and markets.
He emphasized that the immediate priority is to deliver and de‑risk the transfer‑and‑recovery backbone, noting that from day one, each TLS and MRF should publish contracted throughputs, achieved diversion, and reliability indices, with third‑party oversight.
“In parallel, refresh segregation at source—households, estates, markets, schools, hospitality—using Blue Box lessons and closing the loop with MRF quality‑control feedback so residents see that sorting counts.
“Treat plastics enforcement as a financing channel by formalizing mechanisms that direct a share of EPR contributions into city system upgrades—MRF operations, buy‑back networks, and vendor transitions to compliant alternatives—while maintaining consistent sanctions for non‑compliance. Finally, digital transparency by default: stand up the WMIS that integrates billing, GPS‑verified service, materials tracking, incident reporting, and a public dashboard,” he stated.
Speaking on implementation Roadmap: 2025—2030, he noted that the sequence is pragmatic because of the need for continuity and transition in governance.
According to him, “2025-2026 is about plant and proof: commission the Olusosun and Solous III TLS and the paired Ikorodu and Badagry MRFs; publish monthly results; institute rapid‑response protocols for dumpsite fire prevention while legacy sites remain active. Technical commissioning should follow tropical climate specifications including corrosion-resistant materials and enhanced ventilation (JG Afrika Engineering & WSP, 2024).
“2026-2028 scales segregation and EPR‑backed market development: targeted support for large generators, school and market programs, minimum recycled‑content expectations in public procurement, and buy‑back liquidity for the informal sector as it formalizes.
“2028-2030 completes the transition: phased decommissioning of legacy dumpsites contingent on verified capacity; methane‑abatement claims grounded in organics‑diversion data; and a mature WMIS with neighborhood‑level KPIs that residents and media can track. Global projections suggest municipal waste will increase from 2.1 billion tonnes (2023) to 3.8 billion tonnes (2050), with full circular models generating USD 108.5 billion annual net gain (UNEP, 2024).”
On financing the transition, he stated that no city balances this ledger on tariffs alone, noting that the ~13,000‑t/day baseline defines operating costs and the value embedded in recoverable materials, while the financing stack must blend user payments, producer responsibility, concessionary/private capital, and climate‑aligned instruments.
The decisive innovation, he said, is to couple plastics enforcement with EPR, so producer funds flow into Lagos’ system; underwriting MRF operations, stabilizing buy‑back prices, and supporting vendor transitions to compliant alternatives.
The national pathway exists, he said, while Lagos must codify how those flows land inside our infrastructure and neighborhoods.
On monitoring, evaluation, and learning, he said that LAWMA will publish a monthly dashboard in four classes, following global best practices for municipal solid waste governance in Global South contexts (Frontiers in Sustainability, 2024).
He reiterated that the operations will report coverage, missed‑pickup rates, and cycle times from route to TLS; Environment and health will track near‑site air quality and smoke incidents around Olusosun, Solous III, and successor facilities, together with organics diversion as a proxy for methane control; Governance will show enforcement actions by type and PSP contract performance; Markets and inclusion will capture recovery volumes by material; while EPR contributions applied to city systems, and numbers of workers transitioning to formal status—with specific attention to women and youth.
The plastics policy in practice, he said, is likewise a test of alignment: Lagos’ 1 July 2025 enforcement below 40 microns sets a clear signal; success requires recovery capacity, producer financing, and time‑bound vendor support.
Finally, he said segregation heritage matters: the 2019 Blue Box rollout showed Lagosians will sort when the system is simple and visible; the refresh embeds digital feedback—contamination alerts, route‑level participation maps—so behavior change is reinforced by timely information rather than slogans.
On risk and mitigation, he highlighted that execution risk arises if the TLS/MRF assets slip or underperform; mitigation is to tie payments to verified throughput and diversion and publish results with third‑party oversight.
He stated that technical risk assessment from tropical MRF operations emphasizes corrosion prevention, enhanced ventilation, and structural reinforcement as critical design elements (JG Afrika Engineering & WSP, 2024).
Social risk also, he said, concerns the informal economy that currently drives much of Lagos’ packaging recovery; without formalization pathways, livelihoods suffer and diversion stalls; mitigation is to scale compacts with cooperatives—floor prices for priority resins, basic insurance and PPE, and paid training. Successful cooperative models demonstrate 40% income improvements while maintaining recycling efficiency (Kasinja & Tilley, 2018).
The MD LAWMA said that the government had made progress on the Olusosun and Solous Transfer Loading Stations and Material Recovery Facilities, which would replace legacy dumpsites with modern recycling and resource recovery infrastructure.
According to him, the Olusosun dumpsite is to be decommissioned within 18 months, with plans to convert the reclaimed land into recreational use.
To improve efficiency, Gbadegesin said LAWMA was rolling out smart bins equipped with RFID technology, enabling real-time monitoring of waste collection and ensuring accountability by operators.
He disclosed that advanced clean-energy compactor trucks and improved billing systems would also be introduced by 2026.
He hinted that the scavengers who were hitherto undermined are now making thousands of naira and referred to as Urban miners because of their contribution in waste management in Lagos.
Gbadegesin said “The place of waste management in THEMES+ is unambiguous. Drains that keep roads open, air that is not laced with smoke from dump fires, a materials economy that creates jobs, a coastline that welcomes visitors, a government that publishes what it delivers, and inclusion that protects the people who already recover our recyclables—these are central to how a 21st‑century Lagos works.
“My, asks are precise. Sustain political backing for the transfer‑and‑recovery build‑out and publish monthly performance from the first day of operation. Treat plastics enforcement as a financing channel, not merely a ban, by tying EPR contributions to Lagos’ TLS/MRF operations and vendor transitions.
“Institutionalize digital transparency with a WMIS that reconciles billing, service verification, materials tracking, and enforcement into a public dashboard. And formalize inclusion—scale compacts with cooperatives, ensure basic safety, and open pathways for women and youth into MRF, organics, and fleet roles.
“Global evidence demonstrates that cities implementing comprehensive circular waste systems generate USD 108.5 billion annual net benefits while creating 200+ million jobs by 2030 (UNEP, 2024). The data already show the way; the next phase is disciplined, public delivery.”
Earlier in her welcome address, Chairman of PEWAN, Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie, lamented that lack of adequate waste collection, transportation, and disposal infrastructure in Lagos has led to the proliferation of indiscriminate dumping, open burning and environmental pollution.
“We must note that the consequences of poor waste management are far-reaching, posing serious health risks to residents, including the spread of diseases, respiratory problems, and other health issues,” she stated.
The event brought together environmental professionals, government officials and PEWAN members.
They also discussed strategies to address the challenges of rapid urbanisation, informal settlements, and inadequate waste sorting culture.
Highpoint of the event was presentation of PEWAN awards to environmental professionals, government agencies among others.
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