The Lagos State Government has warned residents against patronising unauthorised waste collectors, saying their activities contribute to indiscriminate dumping of refuse and undermine efforts to keep the environment clean.
The government said some of the unauthorised waste collectors dump refuse on roads and in drainage channels after collecting it from residents, a practice it described as harmful to the environment and contrary to the state’s environmental laws.
The Head of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), Major Olaniyi Cole (retd), gave the warning at a stakeholders’ engagement meeting aimed at strengthening environmental sanitation through effective enforcement and collaboration.
He urged residents to dispose of their waste only through the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and designated Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators, stressing the need for residents to pay their waste disposal levy to ensure regular collection and proper disposal.
The LAGESC head also told stakeholders that PSP operators who failed to deliver on their responsibilities had been suspended, saying the measure was part of the government’s efforts to ensure that waste collectors performed their duties and kept the environment clean.
Addressing traders at the market, he urged them to keep their surroundings clean and warned that failure to comply with environmental sanitation regulations would attract consequences.
He cited a market that was recently sealed after its operators allegedly failed to clear its drainage for six months, saying the action demonstrated the government’s resolve to enforce environmental sanitation laws.
The LAGESC boss also warned against trading on go-slows, pedestrian bridges, walkways and roadsides, describing the practice as an offence that would not be tolerated by the government.
He urged traders and other stakeholders to comply with environmental sanitation regulations and support the government’s efforts to maintain a clean and orderly environment across the state.
Cole said the government would continue to enforce environmental sanitation regulations across markets and other public spaces, urging residents, traders and waste operators to comply with the rules and support efforts to maintain a cleaner and healthier environment in the state.