In the past year, the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has sent 343 violations warnings to construction sites at different points throughout the state.

This was revealed at the ongoing ministerial press briefing to commemorate one year of the second term of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu Administration in Alausa, Ikeja, by Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab.

According to him, they received notices for their failure to adhere to the LAWMA-supervised building waste regulatory system.

Wahab continued by saying that at that time, 10 uncooperative sites had enforcement actions taken, and 354 new introduction notices were sent to building companies.

“LAWMA in the last one year has served no less than 343 contravention notices on construction firms at various locations in the state, for not complying with the rules and regulations governing construction waste management.

“It is the responsibility of the Construction Demolition and Disaster Waste Department of LAWMA, to work with construction firms, for smooth evacuation of waste generated by them. But some of them are not playing by the rules, hence the notices”. He stated.

The agency, he continued, detected 103 black areas throughout the state, which LAWMA at different points in time dispatched its operations personnel to clean.

“It is a sad commentary that despite persistent public awareness, warnings and actual enforcements, some residents still refuse to patronise assigned PSP operators, preferring to dump waste in canals, on road medians and other illegal points. This habit must stop”.

The commissioner also revealed that an agreement on waste treatment solutions had been inked by LAWMA, the state government, and the Jospong Group through the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources.

He pointed out that finding current landfill locations was required by the Memorandum of Understanding in order to properly re-engineer solid waste management systems and create jobs.

Speaking about LAWMA’s operations over the past year, he hinted that the organization had collaborated with the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to find sites for the construction of plastic recycling facilities. He added that the goal of this effort was to create jobs and remove plastic products from the environment in large quantities.

He added that in order to help in the collection of debris from both onshore and offshore, the Marine Unit of LAWMA has acquired five more rafters in the previous year.

He mentioned that the state’s markets saw year-round stakeholder participation from LAWMA, which significantly improved evacuation, trash containerization, and hygiene practices, among other things.

Wahab emphasized to locals who engage in environmental vandalism that, throughout the period under review, LAWMA had arrested and prosecuted approximately 1,100 defaulters, the bulk of whom received fines or community service orders.