The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), and the Environmental Health Officers Association of Nigeria (EHOAN) Lagos State Chapter, have agreed to integrate a joint task force, to actualize their shared vision of a cleaner and more vibrant Lagos environment.
The Managing Director/CEO of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin made this known in his opening remarks during a recent courtesy visit by EHOAN to LAWMA headquarters, Ijora Olopa.
He commended EHOAN, for their effort in ensuring a cleaner environment, especially within local communities, adding that the visit would foster a more robust collaboration between the two environmental stakeholders.
Hear him; “lt is worthy to note that environmental health officers are the bedrock of what we do in LAWMA. We both have a direct impact on public health. Over the past few months, the Authority has taken proactive steps to decommission landfills, where we will now have transfer loading stations and waste will be moved to Epe and Ikorodu landfills.
“There are also plans to have material recovery facilities in all the local governments. A lot is also going on in the waste to energy sector and we have already done collaborations on that’’.
The LAWMA boss said further that the Authority has beefed up enforcement in markets across the state, noting that 13 markets were recently shut over environmental infractions.
President of the state chapter of EHOAN, Dr. Cyril Akinyele Babasope, noted that the visit was meant to chart a new path toward more efficient, responsive, and sustainable waste management, anchored on vigilance, environmental stewardship, and robust community engagement.
He said “We are here today, to reaffirm our collective commitment to building a healthier, cleaner, and more sustainable Lagos. As environmental health officers, we are not only protectors of public health but also the bridge between statutory regulations and the communities we serve. As partners, we can form joint task forces to identify problem areas and implement lasting solutions.
“We understand that a well-managed waste system cannot be built by one entity alone. There is also the need for capacity building, to generate specific data to track performance and enable our officers to detect, analyze, and respond to emerging environmental risks with efficiency and precision,’’ he stressed.
