Special Adviser to Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode on Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI), Mr Adebola Shabi, said the state government was committed to reducing the burden of waste management and improve the health of residents.
Shabi said this on Thursday at a scientific conference organised by the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, Lagos.
The conference was themed; “The Burden of Waste Management in a Megacity“.
Ambode’s aide was represented by Mr Jimmy Odukoya, Landfill Manager with Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA).
According to him, CLI, a Lagos government waste management initiative, is working with Visionscape to ensure every bit of waste created in the state is properly moved to the disposal site.
“The government is looking into the creation of transfer loading stations across the state and creation of material recovery facility that will reduce the burden of waste going to the landfill site.
“It will reduce the burden of waste to be carted by the Private Sector Participants (PSP), reduce the burden of coping with waste on the highway and improve the health of everybody.
“We preach cleaner and fresher Lagos, “ Shabi said.
He said that many wastes found on the highways were from the residences and urged residents to properly dispose of their waste to prevent diseases resulting from improper disposal.
“We all have a responsibility to our society to clean and tidy our environment; we will benefit good health when we do so.
“We advise people to always bag their wastes properly and wait for the collection.
“Try to reduce your wastes; you can collapse waste that can be well packaged and make sure you segregate your wastes so that you do not have your premises messed up.
“We will be doing our children a lot of good if we make sure our environment is tidy in order to avoid communicable diseases including Lassa Fever,’’ he said.
Also, Dr James Akanmu, Senior Lecturer in Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, University of Lagos, urged the government to develop an overall strategic urban waste management plan.
Akanmu said: “The plan will prioritise areas of the city that are most vulnerable to wastes and require on-going monitoring and proactive intervention
“The government should also integrate the informal sector such as scavengers and carry community along on collection, transportation and disposal of wastes. “
In his remark, ARD President in LASUTH, Dr Ajibola Salami, said that the theme was chosen because of the heaps of wastes on Lagos streets and in the communities.
“As health care professionals, we think we need to come together, brainstorm and have a solution to the challenge ravaging Lagos, “ Salami said.
