Rhodes-Vivour’s Waste Claims Spark Fresh Clash As Lagos Reveals 15,000-Tonne Challenge

Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, has responded to concerns raised by African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour over waste management and environmental challenges in the state.

Rhodes-Vivour has criticised the handling of waste and flooding in Lagos as part of his comments on issues he believes should be addressed ahead of the 2027 governorship election. In response, Wahab acknowledged that the state continues to experience challenges with waste collection but said the government was implementing measures to improve the system.

According to Bush Radio Academy, Wahab said Lagos generates an estimated 13,000 to 15,000 tonnes of municipal waste every day. He added that the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and licensed Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators evacuated about 418,500 tonnes of waste across the state in May 2026, representing an average of approximately 13,200 tonnes daily. The May figure was also reported in LAWMA’s operational performance report.

The commissioner acknowledged that the figures did not mean every resident was receiving satisfactory waste collection services. He admitted that the state still had collection failures, underperforming PSP operators and other operational bottlenecks.

However, Wahab rejected the suggestion that the government’s approach was limited to clearing refuse after it accumulated. He explained that waste management involved several interconnected stages, meaning delays at disposal facilities could affect truck turnaround times, disrupt collection schedules and eventually lead to refuse piling up in different communities.

He pointed to improvements at the Olusosun disposal facility following the rehabilitation of Road E and the provision of additional disposal platforms. According to him, truck movements across disposal facilities increased to 1,866 in the week after the intervention, while trips at Olusosun rose from 574 to 1,012.

Wahab further said the state was pursuing longer-term measures beyond emergency evacuation of accumulated refuse. These include the development of modern transfer loading stations, material recovery facilities, recycling and composting initiatives, as well as the proposed Epe waste-to-energy project.

The exchange comes amid renewed political attention on Lagos’ environmental challenges as the 2027 governorship election approaches. Rhodes-Vivour, who is seeking the Lagos governorship on the ADC platform, has made waste management, flooding, transportation and other urban challenges part of his campaign messaging.

According to Bush Radio Academy, the disagreement highlights contrasting views over how Lagos should address its waste-management challenges, with the state government pointing to ongoing investments and operational improvements while Rhodes-Vivour has called for a more comprehensive system that prevents refuse from accumulating in the first place.