By: Manoah Kikekon
BADAGRY, LAGOS – The Executive Chairman of Badagry Local Government, Hon. Babatunde Hunpe, has made an appeal to the Lagos State Government for an increase in waste disposal trucks, revealing that the local government currently relies on two-and-a-half of Private Sector Participant (PSP) waste trucks.
Hon. Hunpe disclosed this on Saturday, July 25, 2026, during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise while actively leading cleanup operations in the Ajara community. The exercise attracted state delegations and stakeholders, underscoring the government's push for a cleaner, flood-resilient Lagos.
Addressing state officials and community members, Hon. Hunpe explained the scope of waste collection challenges in the area, highlighting the vast jurisdiction stretching from Morogbo down to the Seme border.
"We have our own tricycle which is taking waste from some specific places, not taking the jobs of the PSP operators; we have our own areas we cover," Hon. Hunpe stated.
"But my observation is that we don't have enough PSP operators. Even the two or two-and-a-half that we have, their operation is not at an optimal position. We want the Ministry to assign more of the PSP to Badagry. Having said that, we are going to continue what we have been doing, and if you assess us, it should be within our core jurisdiction from Torikoh junction to Gbaji Bridge."
Responding to the chairman's observations, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment, Engr. Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, noted that issues regarding operational shortages should be met with immediate administrative synergy, emphasizing that the waste management ecosystem relies heavily on adequate collection networks.
"This complaint of shortages of PSP operators should have come to us before now. We don't compromise on this kind of complaints as the system depends on the adequacy of PSP," Engr. Rotimi-Akodu noted. "We have listened to this, and we will work on it. If you noticed, the chairman didn't just say shortage of PSP, he said two-and-a-half, so that means a lot, and the system will work on it."
Praising the broad participation at the cleanup, Rotimi-Akodu added, "This shows that Badagry Local Government is ready... You see the citizens, you see the students too, as the ministry is preaching cultural shifts. Bringing in the student body is to catch them young. Bad behaviour is prevalent in our society regarding waste management, and that is why we are seeing this poorly managed waste. Let it not be because a camera is here that's why we are seeing this; it should continue after now."
Also speaking during the exercise, the Managing Director of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, addressed the structural measures being put in place by the state. He clarified that local governments act as vital partners rather than competitors in refuse evacuation.
"The local governments are partners, and they are helping the state government in waste management. The local government is purchasing compactor trucks, and the state government is purchasing additional compactor trucks that will help us greatly on waste collection," Gbadegesin explained.
He further revealed that the Lagos State Government has begun building advanced waste disposal and material recovery facilities not dumpsites designed to safely treat refuse and extract valuable components for resource generation, with Badagry earmarked to host a major center.
Princess Damilola Sonayon James, the incoming APC Lagos Deputy Governor, who joined the cleanup, She urged Lagos residents to take waste management seriously, stressing that proper disposal habits remain a critical line of defense against seasonal flooding during the ongoing rains.