The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, made the remarks while addressing a section of the press, noting that effective waste management required strong collaboration among state agencies, local councils, and responsible citizens.
He said that several local governments had taken proactive steps by establishing waste policing and monitoring structures within their jurisdictions, in support of LAWMA’s efforts to curb indiscriminate dumping and improve environmental sanitation.
Dr. Gbadegesin stressed that localised enforcement remained critical to sustaining cleanliness across communities, noting that while progress had been recorded through enforcement actions, long-term success would depend on the active participation of residents in supporting compliance and reporting environmental infractions.
He called on residents to move beyond sharing images of dirty locations on social media and instead provide actionable information that would help authorities identify and sanction offenders.
According to him, timely reporting of illegal dumping, supported where possible by photographs or videos, would enable faster intervention and accountability as waste management challenges were largely driven by human behaviour.
Dr. Gbadegesin also called on social media users and content creators to channel public attention toward responsible civic engagement, emphasising that community vigilance was essential to maintaining a clean and healthy environment.
He cited a recent incident at Ladipo Market as an example of the impact of enforcement, explaining that the apprehension of four individuals caught dumping waste illegally followed sustained monitoring and the temporary seal-off of a section of the market over non-compliance with waste management regulations.
According to him, the offenders were subsequently handed over to LAWMA operatives for prosecution, describing the incident as a demonstration of how consistent enforcement, supported by market leadership and community cooperation, could significantly improve compliance and sanitation outcomes.
