SANWO-OLU’S WIFE ASKS LAGOS RESIDENTS TO BE PATIENT OVER WASTE DELAYS

The wife of the Lagos State Governor, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, has appealed to residents to remain patient over delays in waste collection across the state.

She made the appeal on Saturday during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise in Mafoluku, Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area, following complaints from residents about irregular waste evacuation by Private Sector Participation operators.

A resident, Adebayo Agbalara, told the First Lady that PSP operators were not coming regularly to evacuate refuse in the area.

Responding, Sanwo-Olu explained that the delays were partly linked to longer waiting times at waste disposal sites. She said some trucks reportedly spend two or three days waiting to discharge waste before returning to collect more.

She added that the Lagos State Government was working on alternative approaches to improve waste disposal and management across the state.

Sanwo-Olu described the situation as a “teething problem” and urged residents to be patient while the government and other stakeholders worked to resolve it.

During the sanitation exercise, she commended residents for properly bagging their refuse rather than dumping it around drainage channels. She also noted that a waste truck was already operating in the area, although the evacuation process was slower than residents expected.

The First Lady further encouraged residents to separate recyclable materials such as plastics and paper from other waste at the point of disposal.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment, Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, said public participation in the monthly sanitation exercise had improved significantly.

According to him, more residents now voluntarily clean their homes and streets, showing increased awareness of the need to maintain a cleaner environment.

He urged Lagos residents to stop indiscriminate dumping and adopt proper waste separation, noting that recyclable materials could also provide an additional source of income.