The Lagos Waste Forum has called on the incoming Lagos State Government to establish a dedicated Ministry of Waste Resources to provide strategic leadership and effective oversight of the state’s waste management sector.
The forum said the proposed cabinet-level ministry would help coordinate waste management activities, strengthen accountability and provide a long-term policy direction for the sector.
The call was made during a virtual policy dialogue, titled, “The Governor’s Brief: Setting a Waste Policy Agenda for the Next Lagos,” organised by the Lagos Waste Forum in collaboration with the SWEEP Foundation NG on Thursday.
The dialogue brought together stakeholders from the media, private sector, civil society, environmental advocacy groups and the informal waste economy, including waste pickers, recyclers, waste operators and policy experts.
The stakeholders argued that Lagos’ waste management challenges had become structural and could no longer be addressed through periodic changes in agencies, contractors and operational arrangements.
They noted that the state’s population had risen from about 5.7 million in 1991 to more than 22 million, placing increasing pressure on its waste management infrastructure.
The forum also cited an acknowledgement by the state Deputy Governor that Lagos generates about 17,000 tonnes of waste daily, rather than the previously cited 13,000 tonnes.
It said only about 60 per cent of the waste generated was collected, while approximately 13 per cent was recycled, leaving substantial quantities inadequately managed.
According to the stakeholders, the situation contributes to environmental pollution, blocked drainage channels, flooding and public health risks.
They called for a comprehensive waste governance framework integrating waste management with public health, flood prevention, infrastructure development and economic planning.
The forum also urged the incoming administration to improve waste data collection and public reporting, maintain waste infrastructure, increase disposal capacity and reduce dependence on the monthly environmental sanitation exercise by promoting everyday environmental responsibility.
Convener of the Lagos Waste Forum, Amb. Obuesi Phillips, said the objective of the policy dialogue was to move beyond recurring complaints about waste management failures and develop a coordinated reform agenda.
Phillips said the recommendations from the engagement would be consolidated into a policy compendium to be presented to the incoming governor and other relevant government stakeholders.
The panel at the dialogue included the Publisher, Prime Business Africa, Dr Marcel Mbamalu, Metro Editor of PUNCH Newspapers, Joel Nwokeoma; Phillips; BBC Senior Journalist, Esther Omaporiola; and City Scope Africa’s John Fatanmi.
The Lagos Waste Forum said its seventh edition, themed, The Circular Megacity, would hold on December 10, 2026, at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja.
The forum said the event would focus on waste governance, green investments and sustainable urban transformation.
