The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Tuesday, hosted students and faculty members from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, and the University of Lagos (UNILAG), as part of their study tour on urban challenges and environmental sustainability.
The delegation, led by Prof. Lynn Schler, Head of the African Studies Department at Ben-Gurion University, Israel, was welcomed by the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, who provided an overview of LAWMA’s role in ensuring cleanliness across Lagos and its efforts to promote environmental sustainability.
He stated that LAWMA, established in 1977, emerged from the need to address the state’s waste crisis experienced earlier, adding that the agency’s operations aligned with the THEMES+ agenda of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration, with emphasis on health and environment.
Gbadegesin identified climate change as a major challenge, contributing to the influx of migrants to the state, many of whom take up scavenging as a means of survival, noting that LAWMA was working on properly integrating them into the waste management system in the state, through the ‘Last Man Collector’ initiative.
“We have approximately 3,000 scavengers at the Olusosun dumpsite alone. So far, we have enumerated about 5,000 of them, and our goal is to transition them to be better structured in the waste collection roles,” he explained.
He further disclosed LAWMA’s plan to establish an upcycling center in Otto, one of the state’s oldest communities, with the aim of training young people in upcycling and other sustainable waste management practices, shifting from simply cleaning the state to implementing sustainable solutions that prevent waste from reaching public spaces.
Prof. Schler commended LAWMA’s waste management and environmental sustainabilty initiatives, applauding the Authority’s leadership and forward thinking strategies.
“If this were the only activity on our study tour, it would have been entirely worthwhile. The leadership and forward-thinking strategies at LAWMA are truly inspiring”, she said.
Shira Lahav, a student of Ben-Gurion University, expressed her excitement about the program, emphasising the importance of international collaboration.
“This experience exceeded my expectations. Learning about Lagos and its waste management system has been incredibly insightful,” she said.
A history and strategic studies student from UNILAG, Femi Anjola Elizabeth, who joined the Israeli students on the tour, admitted that she knew little about how waste collection worked in Lagos before the visit.
She said, “I have seen PSP operators in my area, but today, I have gained a much deeper appreciation of the system.”
The event also featured a question-and-answer session, where the students and faculty members engaged with the LAWMA boss on critical issues bordering on LAWMA’s operations, providing valuable insights into the challenges and solutions shaping waste management in one of Africa’s most populous cities.
