Circular economy: Lagos eyes 30 % waste reuse by 2030

The Lagos State Government yesterday hinted that it is pushing to increase its waste recycling rate from the current 8–10 percent to 25–30 percent within the next five years, in a bold drive towards a sustainable and circular economy. The Managing Director/CEO of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA),  Dr. Olumuyiwa Gbadegesin, gave the hint […]

The Lagos State Government yesterday hinted that it is pushing to increase its waste recycling rate from the current 8–10 percent to 25–30 percent within the next five years, in a bold drive towards a sustainable and circular economy.

The Managing Director/CEO of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), 

Dr. Olumuyiwa Gbadegesin, gave the hint in Lagos on Wednesday, at the 2025 Annual Lecture and Awards organized by the Property and Environment Writers Association of Nigeria (PEWAN).

The annual lecture has “The Place of waste management in Relation to the Lagos State Government’s THEME + Agenda” and “Air Quality Management in a Mega City like Lagos, Challenges and Policy Framework” as its themes.

Gbadegesin, who was the keynote speaker, emphasized that modern waste management is no longer just about disposal but is central to economic value creation and environmental sustainability. 

“Our current recycling rate is between eight to ten percent. And we are pushing to achieve 25 to 30 percent over the next five years,” he stated.

Gbadegesin outlined Lagos’ strategy to build a 21st-century materials economy, one that shifts waste from being a cost center to a value-generating sector. 

According to him, central to this plan is the development of an integrated Transfer Loading Station (TLS) and Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) network, embedded with performance-based contracts to ensure throughput and waste diversion.

He explained that the system would support micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in collection, sorting, organics processing, and logistics—thus fostering entrepreneurship and green jobs. 

“A modern waste system is a materials economy: it converts a disposal cost into recoverable value, supporting MSMEs in collection, sorting, organics processing, and logistics. 

“Africa’s circular economy potential represents USD 7.6 billion annually in recoverable resources not currently collected, demonstrating significant economic opportunity. The State’s concessionary pathway explicitly re-routes high-volume streams through TLS->MRF, creating predictable feedstock for recovery and a platform for private investment and green jobs. 

“We are commissioning the TLS/MRF network to specification and embedding throughput and diversion covenants in operator contracts,” he said.

The Chairman of the occasion and a former Lagos Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Tpl Toyin Ayinde stressed the need to reconsider societal attitudes toward resource utilization.

Comparing Nigeria’s 9 percent recycling rate to the 29 percent in developed nations, Ayinde called for a paradigm shift on how Nigerians view waste.

Ayinde encouraged Nigerians to see waste as a resource and emphasized the role of human values in reducing waste generation. 

Also speaking, the General Manager of Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Babatunde Ajayi, emphasised the agency is focused on air quality, vehicle emissions, chemical handling in order to improve life and value of property.

The Chairman of PEWAN, Mrs Okwy Iroegbu – Chikezie, said, “Lagos as one of the fastest-growing cities in Africa  faces humongous challenges in managing its waste. The city’s  population is projected to reach 30 million by 2035, putting  immense pressure on its infrastructure, including waste  management systems.”