The Lagos State Government says it is strengthening waste collection and disposal systems as part of efforts to reduce environmental problems linked to indiscriminate dumping across the state.

The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed this during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise in FESTAC, Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area, attended by the Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, his wife, Oluremi Hamzat, and other stakeholders.

Wahab said more than 200 compactor trucks had been acquired to improve the evacuation of refuse and make collection services more efficient and reliable. He added that the government was also addressing operational challenges at landfills, dumpsites and other major waste collection points.

The commissioner said the state was engaging Private Sector Participation operators on improving waste services, noting that residents’ willingness to pay for collection is closely connected to whether the service is dependable and effective.

The government is also focusing on the activities of unregulated cart pushers, whom Wahab accused of contributing to the dumping of refuse on roads, medians and drainage channels. Such practices, he warned, can obstruct drainage pathways and worsen environmental and flood-management challenges.

Wahab called for greater responsibility from residents, stressing that cleaner communities cannot be achieved through government intervention alone. He urged Lagos residents to dispose of their waste properly and maintain clean surroundings beyond designated sanitation days.

The state government says the combination of additional waste-collection infrastructure, engagement with service providers and better public compliance is intended to create a more reliable waste-management system. The approach places proper refuse disposal at the centre of efforts to keep communities clean and reduce environmental risks across Lagos.