Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has ordered the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, to resign over the persistent heaps of refuse clogging major roads, residential areas and drainage channels across the state.
An insider within the agency, who spoke on condition of anonymity on Monday, said the governor had grown increasingly dissatisfied with Gbadegesin’s handling of the waste management crisis.
The source cited the slow pace of waste evacuation and the MD’s alleged failure to act promptly on the governor’s directives.
“The governor was at the Olusosun Dumpsite in Ojota a month ago and was dissatisfied with the state of things. He gave instructions that immediate action be taken on the matter, as he has declared a state of emergency on waste management,” the source said.
“The governor was upset when he observed that the situation had not improved despite his clear directive. So, over the weekend, he asked him to resign, although he is begging and has reached out to some prominent Lagosians to beg on his behalf.”
For about six months, from August 2025 into early 2026, residents across Lagos have complained about worsening waste collection. Refuse has piled up along road medians, streets and major highways in areas including Mushin, Egbeda, Surulere, Ajegunle, Ikorodu, Ojo, Obalende, Apapa and Mile 2.
The situation has raised concerns about environmental sanitation, public health and the state’s image.In September, Sanwo-Olu declared a state of emergency on waste collection after inspecting the Olusosun dumpsite in Ojota with his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat.
He met stakeholders there, acknowledged the slow pace of collection (partly blamed on Private Sector Participation operators failing to meet obligations), and outlined immediate, medium- and long-term solutions.
He noted that fire incidents at dumpsites had slowed operations but that work had resumed, with projects aimed at enabling each site to handle about 450 trucks of waste daily.
Despite these efforts, refuse has continued to accumulate in several communities.On Saturday, Gbadegesin posted a weekly update on his X handle, reporting major clearing at Mile 2, additional trucks deployed to Doyin-Orile, sustained daily service on Ijesha Road and Itire-Ikate, and interim LAWMA services in areas where PSP operators had been terminated.
He listed progress on several routes while noting that four corridors still awaited field updates, stressing the goal of moving from clearance to sustained collection and prevention of recurrence.
Attempts to reach the state Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotosho, for comment were unsuccessful on Monday, as an aide said he was in a meeting.
Gbadegesin was reappointed as LAWMA head by Sanwo-Olu following the governor’s re-election.
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