By Barbara Nwaiwu
The Lagos State Government has begun consultations with landowners, traditional rulers and other stakeholders over plans to establish Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) at Erekiti in Badagry and Agbowa in Ikorodu as part of efforts to transition to a circular economy.
The Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services, Mr Mobolaji Gaji, disclosed this at a stakeholders’ meeting held on Thursday in Alausa, Lagos.
Gaji said the proposed facilities formed part of the state’s waste-management improvement programme aimed at moving away from conventional disposal towards a system in which waste is recovered and treated as a resource for economic and environmental benefits.
He said Lagos generates more than 13,000 tonnes of municipal waste daily, making improved waste recovery and management important to the state’s environmental sustainability.
According to Gaji, the facilities would receive, sort and recover recyclable materials, including plastics, metals, paper and organic waste, for reuse and further processing.
He said the project was not only about constructing infrastructure but also about developing a sustainable waste-management value chain that could create employment, generate wealth, reduce dependence on landfills and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
“This is not just about constructing infrastructure. It is about building a sustainable waste-management value chain that will create jobs, generate wealth and reduce our dependence on landfills,” he said.
Gaji said the project was aligned with the health and environment pillar of the THEMES Plus agenda of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration.
He assured stakeholders that the proposed facilities would not operate as conventional dump sites but as enclosed and environmentally controlled facilities built to appropriate standards.
“There is no need for apprehension. These facilities are not dump sites,” he said.
The permanent secretary said host communities would benefit from employment, skills acquisition, improved sanitation, access roads and other infrastructure, while the government would work with residents to protect their welfare.
He also said a stakeholder representation structure and grievance-redress mechanism would be established to ensure that community concerns were addressed transparently and promptly.
Gaji urged traditional rulers, Baales, community associations and youth leaders to support the project by sensitising residents and participating in the engagement process.
The Managing Director of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, said the two facilities were expected to generate about 5,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Gbadegesin said local residents, particularly youths and women, would have opportunities in plant operations, equipment maintenance, environmental monitoring, administration, security, cleaning and materials handling.
He added that the project would create economic opportunities in recycling, compost production, equipment servicing, logistics and materials aggregation, while local firms would have access to relevant supply and service opportunities subject to applicable rules.
Gbadegesin said environmental and social safeguards would be implemented to prevent the facilities from transferring environmental problems or nuisance to host communities.
The safeguards, he said, would include suitable buffers, controlled access, storm-water separation, leachate management, fire protection and safe traffic circulation.
He said open burning, uncontrolled dumping, discharge of waste into surrounding land or water and unsafe waste picking would not be permitted.
Gbadegesin added that a community liaison committee would be established with representatives of landowning families, traditional and community leaders, youths, women and relevant local governments to provide project updates, monitor agreed commitments and address grievances.
An engineer representing Zoomlion Nigeria Ltd., Mr Francis Akoto, said each of the two locations would have a Material Recovery Facility and a Transfer Loading Station, with each facility having a processing capacity of about 2,400 tonnes per day.
He said waste delivered to the transfer station would be weighed and recorded before being compacted into sealed containers for transportation to the processing facility.
Akoto said organic waste would be converted into compost, while plastics and metals would be recovered for recycling.
He said the facilities would be fully enclosed and fitted with odour extraction systems, while daily washing of floors would be carried out to maintain hygienic conditions.
According to Akoto, the system could reduce roadside truck queues, odour, flies, rodents and mosquitoes associated with uncontrolled waste disposal, while improved waste management could also contribute to cleaner drains and reduce flooding caused by indiscriminate dumping in drainage channels.
He said waste pickers would be integrated into the formal waste management system through training, protective equipment, safety measures and paid employment.
Akoto said the project would create opportunities for skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers, with priority given to youths and women in the host communities.
The Managing Director of Zoomlion Nigeria, Mrs Habiba Abubakar, said selected representatives from Ikorodu and Badagry would be given the opportunity to inspect the company’s existing facilities and observe its operations firsthand.
“We don’t just talk, we do,” Abubakar said.
She said five representatives each from Ikorodu and Badagry would be selected for the visits, which were intended to help stakeholders better understand the proposed facilities and address concerns about their operations.
The stakeholder meeting brought together traditional rulers, community leaders, representatives of landowners, local government officials and representatives of relevant state ministries and agencies.
Gaji urged landowners and host communities to support the project, saying its success would depend on cooperation among the government, project developers, traditional institutions, landowners and residents.
