Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) says that the authority is proposing a 50 per cent increase in waste bill across board for Lagos residents.
Mr Ibrahim Odumboni, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA made the disclosure during a news conference on Wednesday in Lagos.
Odumboni said that the need for price increase is fuelled by the high cost of operation by the Private Sector Participants (PSP) operators.
According to him, the cost of Diesel used by PSP operators increased from N278 in January to about N875, representing 300 per cent increment.
“We are in the process of having an extensive pricing review for PSP services offered to the households knowing fully well the economic reality.
“Also we are not introducing any change that will turn away consumers of our product.
“While the high cost is about 300 per cent, we are proposing 50 per cent increase across board. He recognized that individual waste,” Odumboni said.
The CEO said that the Governor was also providing additional subsidies for fuel other than the existing subsidies given to PSPs to share among themselves
He noted that the state was generating 13 000 metric tonnes of wastes daily, adding that the trucks are run with diesel 100 per cent.
The CEO appealed to Lagos residents to patronise PSP operators instead of the illegal cart pushers who dump refuse indiscriminately on the roads.
He said that to address the problem of high energy cost, the authority is considering the use of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to power PSP trucks.
The LAWMA helmsman warned that the authority will commence the prosecution of any household that does not have a bin from October 1
“If you don’t have a bin from October 1, you may be prosecuted,” Odumboni said
He said that it was wrong for a compound of several house to have just one waste bin.
According to him, sanitary officers will go round from house to house to advocate on the importance of adopting a bin and sorting of wastes.
The CEO said that the agency was working on the creation of Transfer Loading Stations (TLS), in all the local government areas of the state, for fast and smooth evacuation of waste around the metropolis.
He hinted of imminent establishment of a “bottle-to-bottle” recycling centre in Lagos.
He said that the project was in partnership with a private company who would source their raw materials from the plastic waste generated across the metropolis.
He said that Lagos would soon become the hub of recycling in West Africa.
Odumboni said that the authority planned to set up 30 recycling centers across the state, by the end of the year, to boost the Lagos recycling initiative, which apart from its economic benefits, would mitigate the challenge of plastic pollution.
Also speaking, President of Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria (AWAMN), Mr. David Oriyomi, said the price of diesel negatively affected their operation.
He thanked the governor for the subsidy offered to PSP operators, stating the need for a review of service charges, in line with current economic reality.
