Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has replaced Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) Managing Director Muyiwa Gbadegesin with Olajuwon Akinyemi in an acting capacity, following months of complaints over persistent refuse accumulation across the state.
Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy Gbenga Omotosho confirmed Akinyemi’s appointment to The PUNCH on Tuesday, saying the governor had directed him to assume office immediately.
The appointment comes amid continued waste collection challenges in several parts of Lagos, despite earlier government interventions and Sanwo-Olu’s declaration of a state of emergency in the waste management sector.
According to Daily Post, which cited unnamed sources, the governor has also appointed Tijani Olorunwa as Acting Director of Operations, while Kunle Adebiyi will remain Executive Director of Finance.
The reported restructuring includes the redeployment of officers on Salary Grade Levels 13 to 17 to the mainstream state civil service, local governments and local council development areas.
An unnamed source quoted by Daily Post said the governor had ordered a comprehensive reorganisation of LAWMA’s leadership to improve service delivery and support organisational growth.
Personnel in the authority’s Legal Department are exempt from the exercise to avoid disrupting ongoing court proceedings and concession agreements. The heads of Landfill Operations, LAWMA Operations and Private Sector Participation Operations have also been exempted for an initial 90 days to allow the new management to stabilise operations.
The PUNCH had previously reported that Sanwo-Olu asked Gbadegesin to resign after becoming dissatisfied with his handling of the waste crisis, particularly the pace of refuse evacuation and the implementation of the governor’s directives.
The report linked the governor’s displeasure to an inspection of the Olusosun dumpsite in Ojota, where Sanwo-Olu was reportedly dissatisfied with operations and ordered immediate intervention.
During a subsequent meeting with waste management stakeholders at the site, the governor acknowledged delays in refuse collection and blamed some of the problems on the failure of Private Sector Participation operators to meet their obligations. He also cited dumpsite fires and delays in waste compaction as factors affecting evacuation.
Despite the interventions, residents continued to report refuse accumulation in areas including Mushin, Ikeja, Iyana Ipaja, Egbeda, Surulere, Ajegunle, Ikorodu, Ojo, Obalende, Apapa and Mile 2.
In a recent operational update, Gbadegesin said additional trucks had been deployed to affected areas and that clearance work had been completed or was ongoing along several routes, including Mile 2, Doyin-Orile, Ijesha Road, Itire-Ikate, Bucknor-Ijegun and Obalende.
He also acknowledged that field updates were still outstanding for Apapa, Abesan Estate, Idimu-Ejigbo Road and the Isheri-Igando corridor.
Gbadegesin was reappointed as LAWMA managing director after Sanwo-Olu’s re-election.
The new leadership now faces the task of improving refuse collection and evacuation across Lagos. The state government has yet to publicly announce specific targets, deadlines or performance measures for the restructured management.
