Lagos targets 30% recycling rate in five years

The Lagos State Government is setting bold targets to transform its waste management system, with plans to raise recycling rates from the current 8–10 per cent to 25–30 per cent within the next five years.

Managing Director/CEO of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Dr. Olumuyiwa Gbadegesin, disclosed this at the 2025 Annual Lecture and Awards of the Property and Environment Writers Association of Nigeria.

Speaking at the event themed ‘The Place of Waste Management in Relation to the Lagos State Government’s THEME+ Agenda and Air Quality Management in a Megacity like Lagos: Challenges and Policy Framework’, Gbadegesin highlighted the state’s vision of building a circular economy where waste is no longer just disposal but a source of economic value.

“Our current recycling rate is between eight and 10 per cent, and we are pushing to achieve 25 to 30 per cent over the next five years,” he said.

He explained that Lagos is investing in an integrated Transfer Loading Station and Materials Recovery Facility (TLS-MRF) network, embedded with performance-based contracts, to divert more waste and support private sector involvement.

“A modern waste system is a materials economy: it converts a disposal cost into recoverable value, supporting MSMEs in collection, sorting, organics processing, and logistics,” Gbadegesin noted.

According to him, the initiative will also unlock entrepreneurship opportunities and green jobs while tapping into Africa’s $7.6 billion circular economy potential.