Some years back, waste disposal used to be a major problem in the state, leading to problems like flooding due to blockage of drainages. Over the years, the government has been trying new solutions to the problem. From the privatization of the waste sector to several other policies to keep Lagos clean.
Today, the waste management process in Lagos is not as it used to be. The streets of Lagos are cleaner than they used to be and waste management has become easier for residents than it used to be.
We spoke to three people about their waste management process, and they let us in on how they manage their waste.
Tolu
For the last seven years that I have lived in Ilupeju, my waste disposal process has been straightforward. I know that the PSP (private sector participation) operators come to pick our wastes weekly.
Since I am not always in the house, I am not sure I can categorically state the number of times they come weekly but I reckon it should be between one to two times a week.
I hope that the PSP operators will soon start looking into recycling. It will be very useful if we can have separate bins to assist waste separation soon.
Olaiya
Waste disposal is a chore in my area because we always have to wait for the cart pushers to come and pick the waste. Every month I pay the cart pushers a thousand two hundred (1200) and they come to pick my garbage roughly around 4 to 5 times a week.
I am at their mercy because in the instance that they do not show up in one week, I have to look for a way to dispose of my waste which sometimes involve our security guard throwing it over a fence that doubles as a landfill for residents or he burns them.
ALSO READ: “Lagos opened my eyes to different possibilities” – A 28-year-old’s story
In light of the limitations of the activities of cart-pushers, I am hoping that the government finds a way for residents to dispose of waste more efficiently.
Bola
I live in the heart of Lagos Island and I have always enjoyed a seamless waste disposal service.
As we have gone from Lawma to Visionscape to Lawma again, we simply waited for their trucks to pass, and then we put our waste in or we used the big containers they provided.
Waste disposal has not been a major concern for me because I know we will always have access to their trucks, well except for the times they went on strike and the waste spilled onto the main roads.
Conclusion
The waste management system in Lagos has improved – way better than it was years ago – and this has made the street of Lagos cleaner. This does not mean some parts of Lagos have challenges with waste disposal but we are glad to see that the state government is putting things in place to make the waste disposal system work better.
Remember to always keep Lagos cleaner.
Even in my area, waste disposal is not smooth and easy. We have a specific day that our wastes are being picked up
I guess the plans are still underway. We can only hope it gets better with time.
Waste disposal is now smooth
Waste disposal has improved in some parts of Lagos truly but not all. Take for example, In Ikorodu, people literally throw their trash inside canals. Their lucky days are the rainy days. They wait until it starts pouring and then go to the canals to pour their trash, which isn’t also a good method of waste disposal to me.
It’s not a good disposal system at all, and I assume the Lagos state government is working to make it better for them.
At Ikorodu here there is no system or a body responsible for that, if there is, it definitely will be expensive. You have to walk down to Ikorodu garage to pour the dirt away (there’s a Psp truck there).
That’s a long distance to go. Are you sure it’s not just some parts of Ikorodu?