Francesca Odimgbe
Lagos State is set to build a material recovery plant and a waste recycling plant — the two most important facilities required to fully integrate the State into a sustainable modern waste management system.
The State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu presided over the formal signing of the Waste Management and Processing Concession Agreement between the State Government and ZoomLion Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of Jospong Group of Companies, in a ceremony held at the State House, Alausa, on Monday.
The pivotal deal is an innovative waste management solution, which further reinforced the Sanwo-Olu administration’s vision in driving environmental sustainability through initiatives supporting urban hygiene and healthy living.
Lagos currently generates approximately 13,000 tonnes of waste daily, necessitating provision of robust infrastructure for sustainable waste management in the metropolis.
The concession will not only lead to an overhaul and enhancement of the state’s waste processing capabilities, there will be a construction of a Transfer Loading Station (TLS) at Olusosun Dumpsite in Ketu, which will enable the closure and full decommissioning of the site.
The TLS facility at Olusosun Dumpsite will support the daily diversion of 2,500 tonnes of waste to a new Material Recovery Facility (MRF) that will be built in Ikorodu.
Also, to be delivered under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) agreement is the construction of another Transfer Loading Station at Solous III Dumpsite in Igando, facilitating the closure of the site and diversion of 1,500 tonnes of waste daily to a new MRF to be built in Badagry.
There will be deployment of self-tipping tricycles for improved waste collection in hard-to-reach areas within the metropolis.
The projects listed in the agreements are to be completed within the next 18 months.
Sanwo-Olu described the PPP agreement as “a turning point” in his administration’s effort towards bequeathing a viable waste management alternative to Lagos, pointing out that the capacity of the private partner engaged to handle the project had been proven in the sector.
He said: “ Today, we have witnessed the official commencement of a mutually beneficial relationship between a forward-looking private company and a committed public sector. This is a relationship we have tested; we have seen and we are convinced that the skills and the expertise will work here in Lagos. Having authenticated the capacity of our partner, we did not shy from taking this responsibility.
“The signing of agreements will completely change the strategy, management, output and outcome of how waste management is conducted in Lagos. We are convinced that this will improve not only our physical environment, in terms of waste management and waste generation, it will also reverse what hitherto is a burden that we need to deal with.
“I consider this collaboration as a win-win for Lagos’ citizens, operators in the waste management sector, State Government and our private partner. It is a long journey that made us identify the partner that is best suited to manage each of the level of agreements and it has now been given the responsibility. Our purpose is driven by the sheer vision of a cleaner, better and responsible environment.”
Sanwo-Olu emphasised that the concession would not lead to job loss in the waste management sector; rather, the partnership, he said, would lead to employment of more thousands of jobs that would be dignified, enduring and sustainable.
The Governor said the PPP initiative would give PSP operators an opportunity to step up their waste collection activities and not give excuses of not being able to have a quick turnaround in the collection chain. This concession, Sanwo-Olu stressed, would provide access for PSP operators to quickly dump their refuse at MRFs faster.
“This is also an opportunity to see that wastes are being recycled to things that can be used in other forms. From food waste to plastics and glasses, materials will be recycled to something useful. In terms of future opportunities, we are also going to witness the conversation around carbon credit, biodiversity and biofuel. Thousands of wastes being generated in Lagos daily can now be useful, reusable and properly disposed of, so that we can have a more friendly, healthy and ecologically suitable environment,” the Governor said.
Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, noted the initiative came at the right moment, noting that the State could now generate wealth from tonnes of waste generated.
He said the project was thoroughly evaluated by the State Executive Council and the House of Assembly before the decision on the proposal was approved by the cabinet.
Wahab said: “This is a watershed in the history of Lagos, because we have now taken a decision to move the State from the linear waste management system that has been practised for decades to a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly system where we can take waste as resources for wealth creation.”
Chairman of Jospong Group of Companies, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, said the collaboration demonstrated the importance of cooperation between African entities for sustainable development.
He pledged that the concessionaire would not downplay the provisions of the agreement, promising that ZoomLion Nigeria Ltd would confidently work with the timeline of the project.
The project is expected to generate over 5,000 direct and indirect jobs upon completion.