Why LAWMA Is Seeking Youth Support for Cleaner Lagos
The Lagos Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, is seeking the support of youth organisations to strengthen public awareness on responsible waste disposal, recycling and environmental sustainability as the state intensifies efforts to transform its waste management system.
The authority secured the commitment of the Rotaract Club of Ikoyi and Achiever Leo Club during a courtesy visit by representatives of the organisations to LAWMA headquarters in Ijora-Olopa, Lagos.
The engagement is aimed at using the reach and community networks of the youth organisations to promote environmental consciousness, particularly among young people, while supporting LAWMA’s efforts to reduce waste sent to landfills and increase recycling and resource recovery.
Speaking during the visit, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, said achieving sustainable waste management required collaboration between government institutions and members of the public.
He said LAWMA was strengthening waste collection, recycling and resource recovery while exploring ways to reduce the volume of waste generated and unlock economic opportunities from discarded materials.
Gbadegesin said the authority was also developing Material Recovery Facilities, MRFs, in strategic locations, including Badagry and Agbowa.
According to him, the facilities will improve the sorting and recovery of recyclable materials while creating opportunities within the waste management value chain.
Why youth organisations matter
The LAWMA boss highlighted the LAWMA Academy as another area where collaboration with youth organisations could have a significant impact.
He said the academy was designed to expose children and young people to practical waste management, recycling and sustainable living, while changing the perception that waste is merely something to be discarded.
Gbadegesin showcased products made by LAWMA Academy interns from recyclable materials, saying the initiative demonstrated how waste could be converted into useful products while encouraging creativity, entrepreneurship and environmental responsibility.
He said partnerships with organisations such as Rotaract and Leo Club could help take these messages beyond government programmes and into communities.
“Achieving sustainable waste management requires collaboration among government agencies, private organisations, civil society groups, youth organisations and residents,” he said.
What LAWMA expects from the partnership
The authority is expected to benefit from the clubs’ ability to mobilise young people and support community-based environmental initiatives.
The partnership could involve environmental awareness campaigns, recycling education, community sensitisation, youth engagement and promotion of waste-to-wealth initiatives.
For Lagos residents, the ultimate objective is to encourage better waste disposal habits, increase recycling and reduce the environmental problems associated with indiscriminate dumping.
The visiting representatives, led by the President of Achiever Leo Club, Agboola Yussuf, and Vice President of Rotaract Club of Ikoyi, Olayori Fawaz, commended LAWMA’s efforts and expressed their readiness to collaborate with the authority.
They said the organisations were prepared to support initiatives promoting responsible waste disposal, recycling and environmental sustainability across Lagos.
