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Chioma Ukonu, Co-founder/COO of
RecyclePoints, Tolagbe Martins, MD SWM Solutions and Olawale Adebiyi, CEO of
Wecyclers
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As part of efforts to further
explain and familiarize stakeholders with the plans and technicalities outlined
by the Lagos State Government to effectively manage solid waste in the state,
private enterprises and environmentalists who promote recycling were recently
hosted to a breakfast session by the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI).
The interactive forum which held
at Ikeja, 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.
Managing Director of SWM
Solutions, Mrs. Tolagbe Martins, who made a presentation at the forum explained
in detail, 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).
Speaking further, she addressed
the issue of marine waste, which is also a major concern of the state
government, stating that it had been integrated 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.
Among the stakeholders present at
the session were 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).
In response to 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.
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