By Awyetu Asabe Hope
Dr Hassan Sanuth has denied reports that he has been appointed Managing Director of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), amid speculation that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has asked the incumbent, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, to resign over persistent waste management challenges.
Sanuth, Director of Sanitation Services at the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, described the reports as false and urged the public to disregard unverified information.
The denial comes amid growing complaints about refuse accumulating on major roads, residential streets, road medians and drainage channels across Lagos.
Reports published on Monday and Tuesday suggested that Sanwo-Olu had asked Gbadegesin to resign over dissatisfaction with the pace of waste evacuation. However, the state government had not formally confirmed the reported leadership change as of Tuesday,
The controversy follows the governor’s visit to the Olusosun Dumpsite in Ojota about a month ago, where he expressed displeasure over the heaps of refuse across the state and declared a state of emergency on waste management.
Accompanied by his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, Sanwo-Olu met with industry stakeholders and directed a review of LAWMA’s management and operational structures.
The governor attributed some of the collection delays to the failure of certain Private Sector Participation operators to fulfil their responsibilities. He also said waste compaction at the Olusosun and Solous 3 dumpsites was expected to improve disposal capacity, with each facility projected to accommodate about 450 truckloads of municipal waste daily.
Despite these interventions, residents in Mushin, Egbeda, Surulere, Ajegunle, Ikorodu, Ojo, Obalende, Apapa and Mile 2 have continued to report refuse accumulation.
The situation has raised environmental and public health concerns, particularly where waste obstructs drainage channels and remains exposed for extended periods.
Gbadegesin Reports Progress in Waste Evacuation
Amid the leadership controversy, Gbadegesin published a weekly waste management update on his X account on Saturday, reporting progress in clearing affected locations and maintaining collection services.
He said Mile 2 had been cleared, while three additional trucks were deployed to Doyin-Orile and neighbouring areas. According to the update, 11 of the 15 routes covered by the week’s programme had received field updates.
Daily collection was reportedly ongoing along Ijesha Road and Itire-Ikate, while Bucknor-Ijegun had been cleared and placed on a three-times-weekly collection schedule.
Gbadegesin added that Okeira and Oluodo had been placed under LAWMA’s interim service following the termination of their Private Sector Participation arrangements. Collection also continued at Ogolonto and Igbokusu.
Obalende had been cleared, provided with a waste bin and placed under surveillance, while clearance operations continued at Iraye.
The four routes awaiting field updates were Apapa, Abesan Estate, Idimu-Ejigbo Road and the Isheri-Igando corridor.
“The objective is to progress from clearance to sustained collection and prevention of recurrence, not simply remove visible waste,” Gbadegesin said.
LAWMA Tightens Enforcement
Earlier in October, LAWMA withdrew the operating licences of six private waste collection operators over concerns about their ability to provide effective services in their assigned areas.
The affected operators served communities across Igbogbo-Baiyeku, Olorunda, Ojo, Orile Agege, Ajeromi-Ifelodun and Ojodu.
The authority said the action was part of efforts to improve service delivery, strengthen regulatory oversight and enforce performance standards.
However, persistent complaints about refuse accumulation have renewed questions about the capacity of waste collection operators, the availability of equipment, the adequacy of disposal infrastructure and compliance with collection schedules.
Sanuth’s denial has added to uncertainty surrounding LAWMA’s leadership as pressure mounts on the state government to address the crisis.
While reports of Gbadegesin’s possible resignation remain unconfirmed, the immediate challenge is to ensure regular waste collection, improve disposal infrastructure and prevent refuse from accumulating again.
The state government is also under pressure to clarify the agency’s leadership and demonstrate that its emergency measures can deliver sustained improvements in sanitation across Lagos.
