The Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI) has restated commitment
to a healthier, safer and cleaner Lagos with the session with stakeholders
hosted in Ikeja, stressing government determination to promote recycling,
reports NaijaAgroNet.
This, NaijaAgroNet
gathered, was top on the agenda of the stakeholders meet, where CLI explained
the plans and technicalities outlined by the Lagos State Government to
effectively manage solid waste in the state, private enterprises and
environmentalists in attendance.
Speaking at the forum, the Managing Director of SWM
Solutions, Mrs. Tolagbe Martins told participants that the interactive forum provided
an opportunity for CLI to shed light on several issues that were misunderstood
by many Lagosians, while it also enabled the stakeholders to understand the
practical approach as well as factors they could contribute to the success of
the initiative.
According to her, the forum helped on explaining the roles
played by the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), newly established
agency; Public Utility Monitoring Assurance Unit (PUMAU) and that of
Visionscape, the Waste Collection Operator assigned by the state to collect
residential waste.
Mrs Martins explained that LAWMA had been repositioned to
focus majorly on regulation of Waste Collection Operators, while PUMAU would
coordinate the billing, revenue collection and enforcement of the Public
Utility Levy (PUL), a rate charged by government from each property/house for
collection and disposal of their waste. This rate is expected to replace the
monthly bill charged by PSP operators, now referred to as Waste Collection
Operators (WCOs).
Further, she said the issue of marine waste, which is also a
major concern of the state government is receiving attention as there is strategies
for integrating same into the long-term plan.
"The Cleaner Lagos Initiative is mainly funded by the
Trust Fund through the PUL collected, so the cooperation and support of
Lagosians and residents in the state will go a long way to help the state
government in achieving a healthier and safer environment for all," she
added.
Some of the stakeholders at the session included Olawale
Adebiyi, CEO of Wecyclers; Chioma Ukonu, Cofounder/COO, Recycle Points; Felix
Abayomi, Founder/CEO, Wildlife Conservation and Protection Initiative; Olayinka
Jones, Development Consultant, Community Conservation & Development
Initiative (CCDI).
Reacting to some queries, by the stakeholders on the
immediate action of the government in dealing with heaps of waste dotting
different parts of Lagos, Mrs. Martins explained that Visionscape has been
carrying out regular deep clean activities across the state in a bid to
drastically reduce waste in black spot areas that were dumped indiscriminately
around the city, while also ensuring that the waste bins located in areas of
the state are promptly emptied.
Isaac Oyimah/GEE
Pix: Mrs. Tolagbe Martins, Managing Director of SWM Solutions (middle); Chioma Ukonu, Co-founder/COO of RecyclePoints (left) and Olawale Adebiyi, CEO of Wecyclers (right) at the Breakfast Meeting organized by Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI) to familiarize environmentalists with the waste management agenda of Lagos State Government, held on Tuesday in Ikeja, Lagos.
