By Nneka Nwogwugwu
Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tunji Bello, has stated that over 30,000 waste workers have been employed in the Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration.
Bello said this during the ministry’s 2021 Ministerial Press Briefing on Thursday, in Ikeja, to highlight the achievements of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration in two years.
He said, ”Lagos state Waste Management Agency (LAWMA), during the period under review and due to the magnanimity of Mr Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, has provided employment to over 30,000 residents.
”There is also a potential of 6,000 new jobs in recycling, but currently averaging 4,000 for both formal and informal. Nine hundred and fifty employees have been hired under our Waste Monitoring and Policing and another 350 are engaged as Street Captains.
”Other categories of people offered job opportunities are 300 Marine Waste employees, 14,010 Street Sweepers and another 3,500 under the Highway Managers,” he said.
He added that the quantity of refuse generated in the state was far beyond what the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) evacuated daily, as some were being dumped in other illegal dumpsites across the state.
The commissioner said that about 70 per cent of the waste in the state got to approved dumpsites, while the remaining 30 per cent was dumped at the illegal sites.
According to him, the state government, through the ministry, will ensure that the illegal dumpsites are closed down.
”LAWMA has successfully increased the number of trips completed daily at landfill from 357 to 850 on the average. We have witnessed growth of PSPs from 350 to 437 (87 new PSP companies).
”The period has also seen the acquisition of 210 new Compactors by the PSPs who have also employed over 8,200 people.
The commissioner said that in line with the T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda, waste generation and disposal processes had been reinvigorated through circular waste recycling, the Vanguard reports.
