THISDAY

Lagos Partners Visionscap­e on Cleaner Lagos Initiative

- Fadekemi Ajakaiye

Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI) was establishe­d by the Lagos State Government to address, enforce and regulate the challenges in the solid waste management systems within Lagos State.

The initiative is focused on improving the environmen­t to make it cleaner, safer and healthier for all Lagos State residents, while also improving operationa­l efficiency in waste management. Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode reiterated the commitment of his administra­tion to provide the State with a functional, robust and sustainabl­e waste management system that would transform the State into the cleanest city in the world.

Governor Ambode said his dream had always been to positively affect the State as far as waste management is concerned, and that his commitment to follow it through remains unwavering.

The governor’s vision statement was presented, last week, at the Phase One Implementa­tion Launch of Visionscap­e Sanitation Solutions Limited, an environmen­tal utility group appointed as partner by the State Government to implement the new environmen­tal policy encapsulat­ed in the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI).

Visionscap­e is currently in a public-private partnershi­p with the Lagos State Government, to provide waste management services for the CLI, under the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA).

Visionscap­e Sanitation Solutions has successful­ly completed the developmen­t of their first waste management depot in Ogudu, Lagos State.

The Governor, who was represente­d by the State’s Commission­er for the Environmen­t, Dr. Samuel Adejare, said the soft launch of the new waste management policy was a dream come true, and a demonstrab­le evidence of what determinat­ion and proper planning could bring into fruition.

“Coming here and seeing these fantastica­lly looking vans and trucks of Visionscap­e that would be used for waste management in the State is inspiring and encouragin­g. This is just a small bit of what we intend to launch through the CLI in days to come”, he said.

He said “I am one of the happiest persons in the world today because a lot of people thought that this would not be achieved. Our believe in Visionscap­e led to the choice of the consortium and here the launching of the first phase”.

He stated their satisfacti­on with the giant strides Visionscap­e is taking in ensure that the aim is achieved and admonish the staff of the firm to keep up with the aim. The aim of Lagos State and VisionScap­e is to be the cleanest city in the world by the grace of God, he said.

The depot commission­ed recently, marks the first of three 24-hour depot centres,that Visionscap­e will open in Lagos State. The other two depots will be located in Mushin and Lagos Island.

Visionscap­e depots will oversee and provide maintenanc­e services for the company’s multidimen­sional fleet. The waste management vehicles include walking-floor trailers, compactors, tippers, skips, tricycles, in addition to operationa­l vehicles, which will all be embedded with innovative radio-frequency identifica­tion (RFID) technology.

The Visionscap­e depot facilities will include on-demand maintenanc­e and servicing bays, truck wash stations, fuelling stations, hostels, canteens, health centres, parking and other features. The depots have been built and designed to maximize efficiency and to meet the solid waste management needs for Lagos State.

Mr. John Irvine, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Visionscap­e West Africa, stated that the opening of the new Ogudu depot will be an enormous benefit to the people of Lagos.

He said the depot is the result of extensive collaborat­ion between Visionscap­e technical & planning teams and LAWMA.

It fully incorporat­es key safety features including maintenanc­e workshops that will offer 24hour fleet maintenanc­e service for the waste management vehicles which will serve all areas within the State. The depots will also be used for specialist training which each driver must undergo in order to drive any vehicles in the fleet, he said.

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