Residents, LAWMA Hold Talks Over Waste Facility Concerns in Elepe/Elenuwa Communities 

.As LAWMA Assures Swift Intervention 

.Residents Describe Intervention as Mere Mouth Talk, Demand Immediate Action 

ZAINAB JUNAID 

Representatives of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) on Sunday, 19 July 2026, engaged residents of Elepe and Elenuwa Communities, Igbogbo- Bayeku LCDA, over grievances arising from the environmental impact of the waste facility located in the area, assuring swift intervention after the August rainfall break.

Speaking during the meeting, the Assistant Director and Head of Landfill Operations, LAWMA, Mr Olumide Mumeen gave his assurance that necessary measures have been put in place to mitigate the environmental hazards affecting the host communities.

He stated that the Authority is not unaware of the communities’ agitation and is currently taking actions to address the issues.

He explained that the Landfill is a department in LAWMA that is in charge of management and control of the disposal facilities in Lagos State, noting the Agency is not unaware of the communities agitation, which had led to several sectional meeting with the Community Development Associations (CDAs) not as a joint body as currently constituted, but on a different occasions under the leadership of Engr. Ogundipe and that of the Progressive Community.

Mr Olumide sympathised with the residents over their grievances, stating that LAWMA is taking actions and not merely folding its arms on the salient issues raised.

The Assistant Director observed that LAWMA can only intervene through palliatives, stressing only the State Government can bankroll permanent rigid paved roads.

According to him, “when LAWMA intervenes in road stabilisation, it is an intervention meant for the stability of the LAWMA facility within the community and to positively impact the host community.

“For the access road, LAWMA has gotten to the advanced stage and very soon the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, CCECC, will attend to the road,” he assured.

The Assistant Director recalled how he facilitated letters that were submitted in 2024 to the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, with copies to the Executive Governor of Lagos State.

He informed that a reminder letter was forwarded in 2025 and this was brought to the attention of the sectional CDAs during a meeting held in late 2025.

“Some engineers have visited the area to take measurements and everything is on course,” he said, “We also plan to carry out grading of the road and some stabilisation but to construct a permanent rigid paved road has to be bankrolled by the state government and that is also on course”.

He further pleaded with the residents to exercise more patience, saying the remaining time frame is short.

“There are other roads leading to LAWMA facilities in other locations that require attention in the State, and LAWMA is pushing for their construction alongside the road serving the Elepe/Elenuwa facility.

“This road, in particular, has been considered. LAWMA will do the needful concerning palliative work on the road, and we cannot do beyond palliative measures internally, as a waste management body. I can assure you that the State is giving this road attention, and that is coming very soon,” he said, appealing to the residents to exercise more patience as the time frame is closer than imagined.

Addressing the recurring indiscriminate discharge of refuse by trucks, the nonchalant attitude of drivers, littering of the environment, and indiscriminate parking of trucks, Olumide suggested that the environmental task force committee earlier inaugurated should be expanded to accommodate more members, with LAWMA also joining the committee.

The task force, according to him, was inaugurated to coordinate activities of the truckers within the environment and collectively address the nuisance created by the refuse truck operators.

He also spoke on the security threats posed by the presence of some truckers’ boys in the environment, urging community members to constitute a committee to take charge of the security issue in collaboration with relevant state security agencies.

Olumide reassured that the LAWMA is making effort to reposition the condition of the dumpsite. “We are currently addressing the infrastructural deficit at the site, We have brought some engineers and i promise you that within 25 days, the project at the facility will be concluded,” he added.

However, residents demanded immediate action within the seven- day ultimatum given in grievance letters addressed to appropriate authorities in Lagos State, stressing that all proposed measures outlined by the LAWMA representatives are mere mouth talk, as is usually the case with government representatives.

They also noted that fumigation had stopped and called for its resumption at the dumpsite and also requested the presence of the LAWMA manager at the facility.

The meeting, which was attended by committee members of all the Community Development Associations (CDAs) within the affected communities, concluded with a positive assurance from the LAWMA representatives that all demands would be met in due course.