….plan joint task force for improved surveillance
The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), and the Environmental Health Officers Association of Nigeria (EHOAN )Lagos State Chapter, have agreed to integrate a joint task force, to actualize their shared vision of a cleaner and more vibrant Lagos environment. It was the outcome of their courtesy visit at LAWMA headquarters, Ijora Olopa.
In his opening remarks, the Managing Director/CEO of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, commended EHOAN, for their effort in ensuring a cleaner environment, especially within local communities, adding that the visit would foster a more robust collaboration between the two environmental stakeholders.
He said: ”lt is worthy to note that environmental health officers are the bedrock of what we do in LAWMA. We both have a direct impact on the public health. Over the past few months, the Authority has taken proactive steps to decommission landfills, where we will now have transfer loading stations and waste will be moved to Epe and Ikorodu landfills. There are also plans to have material recovery facilities in all the local governments. A lot is also going on in the waste to energy sector and we have already done collaborations on that’’.
The LAWMA boss said further that the Authority has beefed up enforcements in markets across the state, noting that 13 markets were recently shut over environmental infractions.
President of the state chapter of EHOAN, Dr. Cyril Akinyele Babasope, noted that the visit was meant to chart a new path toward a more efficient, responsive, and sustainable waste management, anchored on vigilance, environmental stewardship, and robust community engagement.
He said “We are here today, to reaffirm our collective commitment to building a healthier, cleaner, and more sustainable Lagos. As environmental health officers, we are not only protectors of public health but also the bridge between statutory regulations and the communities we serve. As partners, we can form joint task forces to identify problem areas and implement lasting solutions. We understand that a well-managed waste system cannot be built by one entity alone. There is also the need for capacity building, to generate specific data to track performance and enable our officers to detect, analyze, and respond, to emerging environmental risks with efficiency and precision,’’ he stressed.
Voicing concern about indiscriminate dumping of refuse on road medians and public places, stretching the agency’s operations, Babasope called for the allocation of additional environmental health officers, for effective surveillance to arrest environmental defaulters.
Also speaking, the National President of the Association, Dr. Samuel Akinbodunrin Akingbeyin, noted that the body was committed to executing its environmental sustainability mandate , urging the LAWMA boss to intensify efforts in the provision of reliable data, for environmental health officers, to achieve a desired result.
“LAWMA is greatly commended; managing waste of over 25 million people and still counting is not a Child’s play. However, a lot can still be done. We environmental health officers are trained research officers, having data to work with makes the job easier and efficient. Therefore, we need you to do more on data gathering , it would help a great deal’’, he noted.
Gbadegesin noted that the Authority already had a Waste Management Research and Policy Development Department, but however promised to absorb and train more health officers for effective performance, noting that “it is high time we bring back the consciousness of wole woles as it was done in the past. I believe we are at it already, with this synergy, we will achieve the desired result of a cleaner and sustainable environment’’.
In attendance were LAWMA Executive Director of Finance, Mr. Kunle Adebiyi, Key officials of EHOAN and LAWMA management staff.