The Lagos State Government has reaffirmed its dedication to promoting advanced waste conversion by signing three separate Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with leading companies.
Speaking to investors and delegates at the 11th Lagos International Climate Change Summit held at the Continental Hotel, Victoria Island, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, stated that the government aims to transition from the traditional “pick and dump” waste management approach to a more sustainable waste-to-wealth model.
According to him, the newly signed MoUs mark a significant move toward reducing the amount of waste disposed of in landfills.
Wahab highlighted that one of the companies, HAK Waste Limited, plans to establish a circular beverage container recycling and recovery system using a deposit refund framework under the Extended Producer Responsibility Mechanism (EPRM).
He further noted that the proposal demonstrates investors’ confidence in the state’s EPRM policy on waste reduction and supports the creation of a packaging circularity ecosystem.
Another agreement, he said, involves the establishment of a world-class tyre collection and recycling facility for end-of-life tyres in Lagos.
“Haggai Logistics Limited proposes to build a first-of-its-kind tyre recycling plant to process end-of-life tyres through a fully automated waste tyre recycling factory and environmentally sound recycling technologies,” Wahab said.
According to him, the third MoU, signed with Mondo 4 Africa, seeks to convert non-recyclable plastic waste into sustainable fuel and other valuable resources using eco-friendly technology.
He reiterated the state’s commitment to continuous public sensitisation on waste sorting at the source, stressing that residents must begin to see waste as a resource rather than refuse.
“We are trying to change the culture of seeing waste as waste, but as a resource. We are also working to shift people’s mindsets from practices that have persisted for decades,” he said.
Wahab noted that the government is addressing key financial and environmental challenges simultaneously, particularly as they relate to Lagos’s vulnerability as a coastal state.
Speaking on the new MoUs, the Managing Director of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, said the initiative forms part of the agency’s efforts to improve the state’s environmental sustainability.
He stressed that neither the state government nor LAWMA alone can manage the large volume of solid waste generated daily, hence the need for private sector collaboration to turn waste into wealth.
In their remarks, the company executives expressed appreciation and pledged to support Lagos State in achieving its waste-to-wealth goals.
Also present at the event were the Special Adviser on Environment, Mr Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu; Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Dr Omobolaji Gaji; Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services, Mr Mahamood Adegbite; and LAWMA’s Executive Director (Finance), Mr Kunle Adebiyi, among others.