Lagos To Criminalise Non-Payment For Waste Management Services

By Emmanuel Daniji

The Lagos State Government has warned residents who refuse to pay for waste management services provided by Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators that they could face criminal sanctions.

The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, issued the warning during a radio programme on Friday while discussing the gains and challenges of the state’s monthly environmental sanitation exercise.

Wahab said the government was reviewing the waste management system and would introduce measures to ensure residents pay for services rendered by PSP operators.

He explained that the policy was in line with the internationally recognised “polluter-pays principle”, under which those who generate waste are expected to pay for its proper collection and disposal.

“All over the world, the standard policy for waste management is the ‘polluter-pays-principle’. But here in Lagos, some of our people want to free-ride the system and have therefore chosen not to pay for the services rendered by PSP operators,” Wahab said.

He warned that the government would no longer tolerate residents who refuse to pay for waste collection services.

“Going forward, failure to pay for waste management services rendered will constitute a criminal offence,” he added.

The warning comes as the state government continues efforts to address challenges affecting waste collection, transportation and disposal across Lagos.

Wahab said the government had identified some shortcomings since the resumption of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise and was taking steps to address them.

“Since we started the monthly environmental sanitation exercise, we, as a government, have identified some shortcomings on our part, and we are confronting them head-on,” he said.

The commissioner had also met with members of the Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria (AWAMN) on Thursday, where he called for stronger regulation of PSP operators and improvements across the waste management chain.

He said the state was examining ways to improve the financial sustainability of PSP operations, including cost recovery and possible adjustments that would enable operators to provide more efficient services.

However, Wahab stressed that any financial adjustments must be accompanied by accountability, transparency and improved service delivery.

“No PSP operator should use the challenges at the dumpsites or other operational difficulties as an excuse for failing to provide the required services to residents,” he said.

He also urged waste managers to fulfil their contractual obligations, maintain their fleets and ensure regular waste collection within their assigned areas.

Meanwhile, the government is continuing interventions at disposal facilities, including the Solous dumpsite in Igando, in an effort to reduce pressure on other disposal locations and improve the turnaround time for waste trucks.

Wahab further stressed the need for stronger enforcement to ensure residents patronise designated PSP operators and stop dumping waste on roads and other unauthorised locations.

The state government has intensified environmental enforcement in recent months. In May, it announced that 931 people had been apprehended for waste management offences, while 239 facilities were sealed during monitoring and compliance operations.

The latest warning comes as Lagos prepares for another monthly environmental sanitation exercise on Saturday, August 29, with the government promising stronger collaboration with waste managers and continued efforts to improve waste collection across the state.