By NewsDesk
The Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria (AWAMN) has called on the Lagos State Government to create a more enabling environment to support effective and efficient waste management across the state.
Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday, the President of AWAMN, Mr. Olugbenga Adebola, emphasized that while recent interventions by the state government are appreciated, more structural and financial measures are required for sustainable progress in the sector.
“We would like to thank the LASG, the Managing Director of LAWMA who has graciously announced to the whole world that they are buying compacting trucks on the lease-to-own for PSP operators,” Adebola said. “I think it is a good gesture. However, I want to say, regrettably, that this is not the only solution to effective and efficient waste management — perhaps just 10 to 15 per cent.”
Adebola said a comprehensive letter was sent to the government in October 2023, highlighting critical issues hindering progress in the waste management value chain, and another follow-up letter in late 2024 to reiterate the concerns.
He noted that details around the specifications and sustainability of the trucks remain unclear. “We don’t know what make the trucks are. The current trucks LAWMA uses were co-designed by us, considering the kind of diesel we have in Nigeria. We also suggested safety improvements like building a back for attendants to sit. These are things we were involved in before — we should be part of this new arrangement too.”
Adebola expressed concerns over the cost recovery process for the trucks, especially with the current charges in the state. “If you are getting a lease-to-own truck, what mechanism is in place to ensure that you also have an effective and total cost recovery? Otherwise, it would turn into a bad debt,” he said. “Right now, a lot of operators who went to banks and got loans at 27 to 33 per cent interest cannot repay them. This is not the kind of funding that supports sustainable waste management.”
He stressed that enabling the environment must start with solid agreements and financing models that recognize waste managers as essential service providers. “If I’m investing huge sums of money, how long will it take me to recoup it with a reasonable profit? What agreement was given to Vision Scape Services (VSS) during the Ambode regime? Then, it was the government that paid them.”
Adebola called for the introduction of green financing options to ease the burden on operators. “You need green funding — some as grants, some as single-digit interest loans, and above all, it must be long-term. Outside the country, people in this sector get loans at 3 to 5 per cent interest, with a tenure of over 20 years. You cannot get that from a commercial bank in Nigeria.”
He concluded by urging both government and private stakeholders to work together in crafting policies and solutions that guarantee long-term sustainability in waste management.