Ayodele Olalere
The Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, has disclosed that the state government is in the process of decommissioning the popular Olusosun dump site and building a waste-to-energy plant at the site.
According to Wahab, the government has ensured reduction in the amount of waste dumped at the site, adding that the move is to radically improve the waste management system in the state.
The Commissioner spoke at a Waste to Energy Summit themed, “Driving Environmental Sustainability,’ organised by Rack Centre in partnership with the NYSC Community Development Service (CDS), at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja.
In his keynote address, the Commissioner who was represented by the Managing Director/CEO of the Lagos Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, Muyiwa Gbadegesin, emphasised the need for proper dumpsite management to mitigate environmental hazards.
“When Olusosun was established, it was actually on the outskirts, but development caught up with it. There’s a lot of pressure on solid waste management, which is why we are working on reducing the amount of waste dumped on the Olusosun landfill through recycling initiatives,” he explained.
He further outlined LAWMA’s strategic plans to transform waste management in the state by focusing more on recycling through various initiatives such as development of compost and biogas plants, to reduce the volume of waste going to landfills.
“We are working on developing composting and biogas plants on the site. The future state is that we are already in the process of decommissioning the Olusosun landfill. Decommissioning the dumpsite is necessary to address long-term environmental and health impacts. In doing this, we are going to comply with international best practices”, he stressed.
He further said waste-to-energy plants will be established at the Epe and Badagry dumpsites to complement the Olusosun landfill.
Dolapo Olaoluwa who was the convener of the summit and a serving corps member, said he envisioned a gathering of key stakeholders to discuss solutions to the challenges posed by the Olusosun dumpsite and other waste management issues, as a way of contributing meaningfully to the community where he was serving.
Adetayo Odusole, Head Sustainability Coordination, Rack Centre, expressed their enthusiasm for sponsoring the event, noting that Rack Centre was pleased to support the initiative as it aligned with their goals of achieving a sustainable environment in the state.
