Lagos waste crisis: Sanwo-Olu sacks Gbadegesin, appoints Hassan Sanuth as LAWMA MD

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has reportedly appointed Dr Hassan Sanuth as the new Managing Director of the Lagos Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, amid growing concerns over persistent waste management challenges across the state.

The reported appointment comes amid claims that the incumbent, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, was asked to resign following dissatisfaction with the accumulation of refuse on major roads, residential streets and drainage channels. However, relevant state authorities had yet to officially confirm the development as of press time.

Sources familiar with the matter said Sanwo-Olu was unhappy with the slow pace of waste evacuation despite repeated directives to improve collection across Lagos.

One of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the governor asked Gbadegesin to resign over the weekend, although the outgoing managing director was reportedly seeking additional time to address the situation.

Before his reported appointment, Sanuth served as Director of Sanitation Services in the Office of Environmental Services, under the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources.

The development comes amid renewed public concern over waste collection and disposal in Lagos, despite recent government efforts to tackle the problem.

DAILY POST recalls that about a month ago, Sanwo-Olu visited the Olusosun Dumpsite in Ojota, where he expressed displeasure over the heaps of refuse across the state, describing the situation as “embarrassing”.

During the visit, the governor ordered urgent measures to address the problem, directed a comprehensive review of LAWMA’s management and operational structures, and declared a state of emergency on waste management.

Accompanied by his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, Sanwo-Olu also met with stakeholders in the waste management sector at the dumpsite to examine the challenges affecting municipal waste collection and discuss immediate, medium-term and long-term solutions.

The governor acknowledged delays in waste evacuation, attributing part of the problem to the failure of Private Sector Participation, PSP, operators to fulfil their responsibilities in the weeks preceding the visit.

He further disclosed that waste compaction was ongoing at the Olusosun and Solous 3 dumpsites, noting that completing the work would improve the pace of refuse evacuation.

According to Sanwo-Olu, recent fire incidents at the facilities had disrupted operations. However, he said activities had resumed, with contractors working to prepare the sites for regular waste disposal.

He added that completing the projects would allow each dumpsite to accommodate about 450 trucks of municipal waste daily, effectively doubling the waste-handling capacity of PSP operators.