Cleaner Lagos Initiative Begins Next Month with Standard Solid Waste Management System
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has set September as the start date for the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI), a major reform of his administration in solid waste management that would conform to international best practices.
Governor Ambode stated this at a media workshop to sensitise journalists on the initiative, which, he said “will not only change the solid waste management system in the state, but will also engender a sustainable, cleaner and healthier environment for Lagosians.”
Ambode, represented by the Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare, said the initiative would now begin “with the passage of the Environmental Management and Protection Law 2017, the concession of residential waste collection and procession to a reputable and competent multinational Waste Services Company, as well as the transformation of the erstwhile Kick Against Indiscipline Brigade to a more civil Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC).
“We are going to start the CLI by first week in September and by the grace of God Lagosians would see how we intends to clean Lagos and make it a more beautiful and liveable environment for us.
“In the meantime, we have thrown up and intervention programme that the Ministry of the Environment, LAWMA and Visionscape is doing called ‘Operation Deep Clean’. The three of them have combined together and are doing this intervention programme supported by our PSP team and even we have started using open trucks for them just to make sure that we don’t have refuse so much on our road.
“I want to tell Lagosians that don’t dump refuse irresponsibly, bag your refuse, put it in front of your house and I assure you, this Government would come and take them.
Don’t worry, where there is no pain, there is no gain, this is just a transition that we are in and by the grace of God come first week in September, we would see the new thing and we would all enjoy it and be happy about it,” he said.
Ambode said efforts to improve sanitation and hygiene were founded with the determination to provide a level playing field for all investors and inject international best practices into Solid Waste Management sector in the State.