Sanwo-Olu appoints Hassan Sanuth as new LAWMA Managing Director

Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, is said to have appointed Dr Hassan Sanuth as the new Managing Director of Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA).

This comes after allegations that Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin who was the Managing Director of LAWMA has been asked to step down because of inefficiencies in waste management throughout the state.

However, as of press time, relevant state authorities had yet to officially confirm the reported appointment or Gbadegesin’s alleged exit.

Sources familiar with the development said Sanwo-Olu was dissatisfied with the continued accumulation of refuse on major roads, residential streets and drainage channels across Lagos.

One of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Sanwo-Olu had asked Gbadegesin to resign over the weekend, although the outgoing managing director was reportedly seeking more time to address the situation.

“The directives aim at addressing the waste challenges in the state,” the source told this newspaper.

Sanuth, before his reported appointment, was the Director of Sanitation Services in the Office of Environmental Services, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources.

The reported development comes amid renewed concerns over waste collection and disposal across Lagos, despite the state government’s recent interventions to address the problem.

Recall that Sanwo-Olu, during a visit to the Olusosun Dumpsite in Ojota about a month ago, expressed dissatisfaction with the heaps of refuse across the state, describing the situation as “embarrassing”.

The governor ordered immediate action, directed a comprehensive overhaul of LAWMA’s operational structures and management, and declared a state of emergency on waste management.

Accompanied by his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Sanwo-Olu met with stakeholders in the waste management sector at the dumpsite to assess the challenges affecting municipal waste collection and outline immediate, medium- and long-term solutions.

He acknowledged the slow pace of waste collection, attributing the situation partly to the failure of Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators to meet their obligations in the preceding weeks.

The governor also said waste compaction activities were ongoing at the Olusosun and Solous 3 dumpsites, adding that completing the exercise would facilitate faster evacuation.

He explained that recent fire incidents at the dumpsites had slowed operations but said work had resumed, with contractors working to clear the sites for daily waste disposal.

According to him, completing the projects would enable each dumpsite to receive about 450 trucks of municipal waste daily, effectively doubling the capacity of PSP operators.

Refuse Accumulation Persists Across Communities

Despite the interventions, residents have continued to report refuse accumulation in several parts of Lagos, including Mushin, Egbeda, Surulere, Ajegunle, Ikorodu, Ojo, Obalende, Apapa and Mile 2.

The situation has prompted repeated complaints about decomposing waste along streets, road medians, major highways and drainage channels.

A source familiar with the matter said the governor was dissatisfied that the situation had not improved despite his earlier directives.