The Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has revoked the operating licences of five Private Sector Participation (PSP) waste collection operators across the state, while another operator has voluntarily withdrawn from the scheme.
LAWMA says the affected operators failed to meet the required standards for efficient waste collection. But the sweeping action also raises a bigger question for Lagos: if these operators were not delivering adequately, how long did the authority allow residents in the affected communities to endure poor waste management before taking action?
LAWMA’s Chief Executive Officer, Muyiwa Gbadegesin, said the decision was part of the government’s commitment to building a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable Lagos.
According to the authority, operators entrusted with waste collection must have the capacity, competence and resources to provide reliable services to residents.
One of the operators, K-HS Integrated Services, formerly known as Gboleybos Nigeria Limited, reportedly exited voluntarily in Igbogbo-Baiyeku.
The five operators whose licences were revoked are Deshasat Enterprises in Olorunda, Bailas Nigeria Company in Ojo, Guestimate Environmental Protection Company in Orile Agege, Evabol Ventures in Ajeromi-Ifelodun, and Korad Closet Empire Limited in Ojodu.
The affected locations include Ward C1, Slot A, Abosan in Igbogbo-Baiyeku; Ibereko (LIMCA) in Olorunda; Sabo Oniba in Ojo; Papa Ashafa II in Orile Agege; Oluwa 1 in Ajeromi-Ifelodun; and Oke-Ira/Powerline in Ojodu.
But while LAWMA has announced the sanctions, Lagos residents deserve more than a list of operators whose licences have been withdrawn.
The authority should explain the specific failures that led to the revocations, the monitoring mechanisms used to assess the operators, how long the alleged shortcomings persisted, and what steps were taken before the final sanctions were imposed.
More importantly, residents deserve to know what happens next.
Will the affected communities immediately receive better waste collection? Who will take over the abandoned routes? What measures has LAWMA put in place to prevent mountains of refuse from replacing the failed services of the sanctioned operators?
For residents who have continued to pay for waste collection, the central issue is not merely whether an operator has lost its licence. The real test is whether LAWMA can guarantee that refuse will actually be collected on time and that Lagos communities will not pay the price for regulatory failures.
LAWMA said it would ensure uninterrupted waste collection in the affected areas through appropriate interventions.
«“As a government, we will continue to strengthen regulatory oversight, enforce performance standards and ensure that waste management operators live up to their responsibilities. The wellbeing of Lagos residents and the protection of our environment remain paramount,” the agency stated.»
That commitment now places an even greater responsibility on LAWMA.
Regulation cannot end with revoking licences. It must begin with effective monitoring, transparent enforcement and measurable results.
If an operator is incapable of serving residents, LAWMA has a duty to act. But the authority itself must also be prepared to answer questions about how such operators were allowed to remain responsible for public sanitation in the first place.
Lagos does not need another cycle in which poor waste collection is tolerated until the situation becomes embarrassing, licences are withdrawn, statements are issued, and residents are left waiting for the next intervention.
What Lagos residents need is a waste management system where performance is monitored continuously, failures are detected early, sanctions are transparent, replacement arrangements are immediate, and residents can clearly see the difference on their streets.
LAWMA has urged residents to patronise only approved waste management channels and support efforts to keep Lagos clean.
But the responsibility cannot rest with residents alone.
Residents can dispose of their waste properly. They can pay for approved services. They can cooperate with sanitation authorities. But they cannot collect the rubbish themselves after paying for a service that is supposed to be delivered.
The latest licence revocations should therefore not be treated merely as an enforcement victory. They should become a test of LAWMA’s own regulatory effectiveness.
The people of Lagos deserve a waste management authority that does not merely react to failure, but prevents it.
A cleaner Lagos requires accountable operators but it also requires an authority willing to hold itself accountable.
