Lagos residents are expressing growing frustration over unreliable waste collection services, even as they continue to pay monthly fees to Private Sector Participants (PSP operators). The operators, in turn, are pushing for higher charges, citing increased fuel and operational costs.
Waste Collection Delays and Illegal Dumping
Across several neighbourhoods in Lagos, households report that their waste has gone uncollected for weeks. The PSP operators, licensed by the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), are responsible for residential and commercial waste collection. Residents pay these operators directly for the service.
Compounding the problem, residents allege that some PSP operators are dumping waste in unauthorised locations, such as roadsides, drainage channels, and open lots, instead of transporting it to designated landfills. This practice saves operators time and fuel costs but turns public spaces into informal dumpsites.
Operators Demand Higher Fees
PSP operators are seeking an upward review of the charges they collect from residents, citing rising diesel prices, vehicle maintenance costs, and spare parts expenses. While these cost increases are real, the demand lands poorly with residents who feel they are already paying for a service that is not being delivered reliably.
LAWMA reported that it and its network of PSP operators evacuated 418,500 tonnes of waste across Lagos in May 2026 alone, cleared 173 waste black spots, and received 474 complaints and service requests during the same period. The managing director attributed operational strain to persistent rainfall and pressure on disposal infrastructure during the rainy season.
Public Health Concerns
Despite these figures, residents describe streets as perpetually dirty, with drains blocked by waste that breeds mosquitoes and raises the risk of disease outbreaks, especially as the rainy season deepens. The tension is that residents are being asked to pay more for a service that is already underdelivering, by operators who are, in some cases, contributing to the very problem they are contracted to fix.
Until accountability flows in both directions—from residents who must bag and sort their waste, and from operators who must actually collect and legally dispose of it—the cycle is unlikely to break. LAWMA has not responded to the specific allegations of illegal dumping by PSP operators.
