By Abdullahi Lukman
The Lagos State Government has called on local government chairmen across the state to develop effective strategies to curb street trading and tackle waste pollution as part of efforts to maintain a cleaner and healthier environment.
Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, made the call during a meeting with all 57 LG and Local Council Development Area (LCDA) chairmen held at the Protea Hotel, Ikeja, on Wednesday, October 22, 2025.
Speaking with journalists after the meeting, Wahab said the session was convened to strengthen collaboration between the state and local governments in addressing key environmental issues.
“We just had a meeting with all the LG chairmen across the state to establish a collaborative working relationship on matters concerning the environment, transportation, drainage, street trading, and water management,” he said.
“The aim is to get their input, identify the gaps at the grassroots level, and work together to find lasting solutions.
We also need to inject new life into the Lagos Waste Management Authority’s system, and we are appealing to the LG chairmen to support this effort.”
Chairman of the Conference of 57 LG Chairmen and Ibeju-Lekki Council Chairman, Mr. Sesan Olowa, in his remarks, urged the state government to deepen its partnership with local councils in the area of waste collection and management.
“The major challenge in waste management is collection and transportation. When you look at the value chain, there are visible inefficiencies,” Olowa said. “In Ibeju-Lekki, we procured 20 tricycles and, within two months, collected 12,000 bins of waste from our streets.
This shows LGs have the capacity to clean up Lagos, but we need more disposal hubs to sustain our efforts.”
Olowa also emphasized the potential of waste management to create employment opportunities for youths across the state.
“With the right structure, waste management can be transformed into a job creation tool for young people,” he added.
In response, Wahab assured the local council leaders that the state government would continue to provide support and policy backing to ensure Lagos remains clean, orderly, and free from environmental infractions.
The meeting was attended by all LG and LCDA chairmen as well as management and staff of the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources.
