Waste evacuation charge in Lagos may increase by 50% – LAWMA

The Lagos Waste Management Authority has hinted that the charge for waste evacuation may increase by 50 per cent from October 1.

The Managing Director, LAWMA, Mr Ibrahim Odumboni, gave the hint on Wednesday in Lagos during a briefing on the activities of the agency.

Odumboni said the rising cost of operation, the cost of overheads, majorly diesel and spare parts for the trucks that waste managers used for evacuation of wastes, had warranted the increment.

He said that with these realities, a tariff review was under consideration and the upward price review of about 50 per cent would commence October 1.

The LAWMA boss said from September 1, there would be an extensive and consultative review of the tariffs, to meet the rising cost of operations.

Odumboni said poor attitude to waste management, heavy rains and particularly the recent cost of diesel posed huge challenges to the cost of operation.

According to him, the PSP operators and residents’ associations will be allowed to fix an increase in tariff for domestic waste, which LAWMA has pegged at 50 per cent maximum.

“PSP, CDA/CDC and LAWMA will take part in the review process, we want to appeal to tenements, the quicker we resolve this the better it will be for us in terms of the percentage increase.

“In some cases, it might be lesser than that because waste is dependent on your individual lifestyles.

“We are in the process of extensive and consultative pricing review for PSP services that we offer in households, knowing full well that we are trying to recognise the economic trend in Nigeria.

“We are trying to ensure that we are not introducing any change that will automatically disenfranchise people and cause the menace of waste in our immediate society,” he said.

On efforts to meet up with changing demands such as the rising cost of diesel and the demand of clean energy, Odumboni said the agency had begun processes of dual fuel systems for trucks.

According to him, two trucks have already been converted to dual fuel systems – 50 per cent diesel and 50 per cent gas for efficiency.

He said that on October 1, abatement notices would be issued to houses without waste disposal bins.

Odumboni said in the nearest future, the agency intended to operate a two-bin system, whereas one bin would be for recyclables and the other for organic waste.