Amid widespread public outcry over uncollected garbage choking major parts of Lagos, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has reportedly instructed the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, to step down from his role.
The governor’s decision reportedly stems from prolonged dissatisfaction with the pace of cleanup efforts across the metropolis. Internal sources indicate that Sanwo-Olu’s frustration reached a boiling point following his on-site inspection of the Olusosun dumpsite in Ojota roughly a month ago, where he had demanded swift and aggressive measures to eliminate street refuse.
Even after a state of emergency on sanitation was officially declared, visible improvements remained scarce. According to an agency insider, the governor delivered the exit order over the weekend, leading the embattled agency head to reach out to influential political leaders across the state in an effort to protect his position.
Massive piles of rotting refuse have overwhelmed residential neighborhoods, medians, primary corridors, and drainage channels in districts such as Mushin, Surulere, Egbeda, Ajegunle, Ojo, Ikorodu, Obalende, Apapa, and Mile 2. This pervasive dirt has triggered serious alarms regarding public hygiene, environmental safety, and disruption to local commerce.
During his September tour of the Olusosun facility alongside Deputy Governor Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Sanwo-Olu highlighted multiple setbacks hampering operations. He cited lapses by Private Sector Participation (PSP) contractors, ongoing compaction projects, and sporadic dumpsite blazes. The governor had projected that upgrading both Olusosun and Solous 3 would eventually expand their intake to approximately 450 refuse trucks each day, bolstering citywide evacuation.
In defense of the agency’s performance, Gbadegesin shared updates via his X account over the weekend, asserting that clearance crews were making notable headway. He reported that Mile 2 had been successfully serviced, extra vehicles were deployed to Doyin-Orile, and routine collections were ongoing in areas like Itire–Ikate, Ijesha Road, Ogolonto, and Bucknor–Ijegun. He added that LAWMA had assumed direct responsibility for Okeira and Oluodo following the cancellation of underperforming private vendor contracts, stressing that the priority was establishing a dependable collection cycle to prevent trash from returning.
Government authorities have yet to officially verify the reported resignation directive. Reached for comment, an aide to the State Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotosho, noted that the commissioner was occupied in a meeting and could not immediately respond. Gbadegesin, who secured reappointment at the onset of Sanwo-Olu’s second administration, now faces an uncertain tenure as the public continues to demand swift and lasting solutions to the city’s waste woes.
