By Faridat Salifu
The Lagos State Government and ZoomLion Nigeria have signed an agreement to jointly construct a Transfer Loading Station at the Olusosun dumpsite in Ojota,
This decision paves the way for the eventual shutdown of one of Africa’s largest and most controversial open landfills.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced the agreement on Monday via his verified X account, describing it as a pivotal move in reforming Lagos’ waste management system.
He revealed that the state currently generates about 13,000 tonnes of waste daily, necessitating urgent structural improvements.
“Lagos produces around 13,000 tonnes of waste every single day. That’s a huge number, and it’s clear we need stronger systems in place to deal with it. This partnership aims to address that,” Sanwo-Olu said.
Under the new agreement, 2,500 tonnes of waste will be redirected daily from Olusosun to a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) in Ikorodu.
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This development is expected to enable the complete shutdown of the Olusosun landfill, which has been criticized for its recurrent fires, toxic emissions, and proximity to residential and commercial areas.
A similar model will be replicated at the Solous III dumpsite in Igando, where 1,500 tonnes of waste will be transferred daily to a proposed recovery facility in Badagry.
The governor noted that the initiative supports Lagos’ broader environmental agenda, including the transformation of the city into a cleaner and more livable urban center.
According to him, the project is also expected to generate over 5,000 direct and indirect jobs.
The Olusosun landfill, which has been operational for over 20 years, has long been a symbol of the state’s waste management challenges. While previous administrations had expressed intentions to shut it down, those efforts stalled due to a lack of viable alternatives.
The involvement of ZoomLion Nigeria, a subsidiary of Ghana-based Jospong Group, marks the first significant step toward that long-delayed objective. The company is expected to bring regional expertise in sanitation and waste logistics to the table.
The introduction of Transfer Loading Stations and Material Recovery Facilities signals a move away from landfill dependency to a more modern, recovery-oriented waste system — a model already in use in cities such as Kigali, Accra, and Johannesburg.
While no specific timeline has been disclosed, the project’s success will hinge on the speed and efficiency with which the infrastructure is developed and operationalized.
