Lagos To Decommission Aging Landfills In Drive For Cleaner, Sustainable City

The Lagos State Government has unveiled plans to decommission major landfills that have exceeded their operational lifespan as part of a sweeping reform to modernize waste management and advance environmental sustainability across the state.

Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, announced the initiative on Wednesday in a post on X (formerly Twitter), following a strategic meeting with all 57 Local Government and Local Council Development Area chairmen.

According to Wahab, the move aligns with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s broader vision to build a “cleaner and flood-free Lagos,” driven by better coordination between state and local authorities.

“We are decommissioning landfills like Olusosun and Solous 3 that have outlived their usefulness, while ensuring that functional ones like Epe remain active and efficient,” Wahab stated.

The high-level meeting, held at the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, was attended by key officials including the Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi; Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development, Bolaji Roberts; Secretary to the State Government, Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin; Special Adviser on the Environment, Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu; and several Permanent Secretaries and agency heads.

Discussions centered on improving synergy between local councils and the state government to combat flooding, enhance waste collection systems, and enforce environmental compliance at the community level.

“Our message was clear: environmental management begins at the grassroots,” Wahab said. “We must all work together to build a cleaner, flood-free Lagos where waste becomes a resource rather than a burden.”

He underscored the crucial role of local governments in ensuring proper waste collection, public sensitization, and enforcement against indiscriminate dumping, reiterating that the ban on street trading remains in full effect.

“The state is building resilient drainage and flood control infrastructure; our local governments must mirror this commitment in their own communities,” Wahab added.

He emphasized that true environmental sustainability can only be achieved through cooperation among all tiers of government.

“The State Government will continue to lead from the front, but real progress will come when everyone, state, local governments, and citizens, works hand in hand,” he said.

The landfill decommissioning marks another step in Lagos’ ongoing efforts to transform its waste management architecture, with plans to integrate recycling, cleaner energy, and sustainable urban practices into the city’s environmental policy framework.