Lagos engages landowners, stakeholders on proposed Material Recovery Facilities
The Lagos State Government has commenced engagement with landowners, traditional rulers and other stakeholders over proposed Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs).
The facilities are planned for Erekiti in Badagry and Agbowa in Ikorodu.
The Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services, Mr Mobolaji Gaji, disclosed this at a stakeholders’ meeting held on Thursday in Alausa, Lagos.
Gaji said the proposed facilities formed part of the state’s waste management improvement programme aimed at transitioning Lagos from linear waste disposal to a circular economy.
He said the project was designed to treat waste as a resource capable of generating employment, wealth and environmental benefits, rather than merely disposing of it.
According to him, Lagos generates more than 13,000 tonnes of municipal waste daily, making improved waste recovery critical to environmental sustainability.
He said the MRFs would receive, sort and recover recyclable materials, including plastics, metals, paper and organic waste, for reuse and further processing.
Gaji said the project aligned with the health and environment pillar of the THEMES Plus agenda of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration.
He stressed that the project was not merely about infrastructure but about establishing a sustainable waste-management value chain.
He said the initiative would reduce dependence on landfills and help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
The permanent secretary said host communities would benefit through employment, skills acquisition, improved sanitation and other social interventions.
He said access roads and other infrastructure would also be provided, while the government would work with communities to protect their welfare.
“We are here to listen to you and ensure your welfare is well protected,” he said.
Gaji appealed to traditional rulers, Baales, community associations and youth leaders to become ambassadors by sensitising their people about the project.
He assured stakeholders that the proposed facilities would not be conventional dump sites but enclosed and environmentally controlled facilities built to appropriate standards.
“There is no need for apprehension. These facilities are not dump sites,” he said.
He said the state would establish stakeholder representation and a grievance-redress mechanism to address concerns transparently and promptly.
Gaji urged stakeholders to approach the engagement with an open and constructive mind, describing the project as a collective initiative.
He said government was committed to ensuring that no community was left behind or shortchanged during implementation.
Also speaking, the Managing Director, Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, said the project would generate about 5,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Gbadegesin said local residents, particularly youths and women, would have opportunities in plant operations, equipment maintenance, environmental monitoring, administration and materials handling.
He said the project would provide technical training, apprenticeships and certification linked to actual workforce requirements.
According to him, competent local firms would have access to appropriate supply and service opportunities, subject to applicable rules.
He said the facilities would stimulate economic activities in recycling, compost production, equipment servicing, logistics and materials aggregation.
Gbadegesin said the project would also facilitate infrastructure development, including access roads, drainage, power, water, communications and security.
He assured stakeholders that environmental and social safeguards would be implemented to ensure the project did not transfer environmental problems to host communities.
“The project is not intended to relocate environmental problems or nuisance to your community. We will not do that,” he said.
He listed the safeguards to include suitable buffers, controlled access, storm-water separation, leachate management, fire protection and safe traffic circulation.
He said open burning, uncontrolled dumping, discharge of waste into surrounding land or water and unsafe waste picking would not be tolerated.
Gbadegesin added that truck routes would be controlled and communicated to the communities.
He said a community liaison committee would be established, comprising representatives of landowning families, traditional and community leaders, youths, women and relevant local governments.
The committee, he said, would receive regular project updates, review community impacts and track agreed commitments.
It would also operate an accessible grievance-resolution mechanism for residents and other stakeholders.
In his presentation, Mr Francis Adzakpa-Akoto, an engineer representing Zoomlion Nigeria Ltd., said the project would help Lagos move from indiscriminate dumping to resource recovery.
He said Lagos generated between 13,000 and 15,000 tonnes of waste daily, stressing that the existing disposal system was under pressure.
According to him, the proposed system would ensure waste was sorted and recovered, with organic materials converted into compost.
He said plastics and metals would be recycled to support the circular economy.
Adzakpa-Akoto said the proposed facilities would include a Material Recovery Facility and a Transfer Loading Station, each with a processing capacity of about 2,400 tonnes daily.
He explained that waste arriving at the transfer station would be weighed and recorded before being compacted into sealed containers.
The containers would then be transported to the processing facility for further treatment.
He said the facilities would be fully enclosed, with odour extraction systems and daily floor washing to maintain hygienic conditions.
The arrangement, he said, would reduce roadside truck queues, odour, flies, rodents and mosquitoes associated with uncontrolled waste disposal.
He added that improved waste management would contribute to cleaner drains and reduce flooding caused by indiscriminate dumping.
Adzakpa-Akoto said existing dumps could eventually be reclaimed and repurposed as Lagos transitions towards a circular economy.
On employment, he said the project would create opportunities for skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers, with priority given to youths and women.
He said waste pickers would also be integrated into the formal waste-management system through training, protective equipment and paid employment.
According to him, the circular economy would stimulate businesses in transportation, security, catering, artisan services and materials aggregation.
He projected that more than 1.1 million bags of organic compost could be produced annually from the facilities.
He said recovered plastics and metals would also create a market for recyclable materials.
Adzakpa-Akoto said Zoomlion would establish a community liaison structure, conduct quarterly reviews and provide formal channels for grievances.
He urged stakeholders to support the project, nominate representatives to the liaison committee and encourage youths to participate in planned training programmes.
Also speaking, Zoomlion’s Managing Director, Mrs Habiba Abubakar, said stakeholders would have an opportunity to inspect the company’s existing facilities.
She said this would enable stakeholders to observe operations firsthand instead of relying solely on videos and presentations.
Abubakar said five representatives each from Ikorodu and Badagry would be selected to visit operational facilities.
“We don’t just talk, we do,” Abubakar said.
She assured stakeholders that the inspection would help them better understand the proposed facilities and address concerns about their operations.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting provided an opportunity for government and project proponents to seek cooperation from landowners.
The cooperation is expected to facilitate access to the designated sites.
The engagement was attended by traditional rulers, community leaders, landowners’ representatives and local government officials.
Officials of the Lands Bureau, Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, LAWMA and other relevant government establishments also attended.
The proposed MRFs are expected to form part of Lagos State’s broader efforts to strengthen waste recovery and reduce pressure on disposal facilities.
They are also expected to create economic value from municipal waste. (NAN)
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