SMART BINS FOR SMART LAGOS EMERGES AS ‘ADOPT A BIN’ INITIATIVE IS LAUNCHED; LAWMA MD, ODUMBONI SAYS ESTATES NOW MANDATED TO SEPARATE WASTES FROM 1ST APRIL
By Oki Samson, Trek Africa Newspaper
L-R:
In its quest to ensure that Lagos is cleaner, the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has today launched the Adopt A Bin project with an initial 40,000 standard bins deployed to households and commercial entities.
The initiative is expected to nip in the bud the indiscriminate dumping of refuse that does not seem want to abate in Lagos. This initiative will also ensure that the government of today can bequeath a sustainable environment to future generations. The event was held at Simpson Transfer Loading Station, Lagos Island by the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA).
Speaking at the launch of the Adopt-a-Bin programme, Sanwo-Olu said the gospel of waste sorting at source, is now gaining ground as individual pickers of recyclable items were increasing by the day and recycling firms springing up.
According to the governor, who was represented by the Commissioner of the Environment and Water Resources, Tunji Bello, “Today, we are at the threshold of another phase, in our Lagos Recycle Initiative, as we launch standard waste bins, for the “Adopt -a- Bin” project, which is LAWMA’s latest baby. The bins which come in two colours; the green for general waste and the blue for recyclable items, are for containerizing waste.
MD/CEO, LAWMA, Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni (3rd right); Hon Desmond Elliot; Chairman of Onigbongbo LCDA, Hon. Oladotun Olakanle and others
“These are not ordinary bins; but smart ones, built to last, and in accordance with internationally recognized quality standards. They are fitted with intelligent devices that enable tracking and identification. These unique devices also make it possible to register every single bin to individual addresses, for easy communication on issues relating to them.”
He said at the inception of his administration, they had a clear road-map of the journey to a cleaner Lagos city with sustainable environment, adding that in accordance with that road map, government had systematically unfolded its plans and strategies, one initiative after another, like the procurement of the 102 trucks and double dino bins; launch of Lagos Recycle Initiative, and now formally bringing “Adopt-a-Bin” project to life for homes, offices, churches, mosques, among others. 
Rep of the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Tunji Bello (front) cutting the tape to unveil the smart waste bins for Adopt-A-Bin’ project, at the LAWMA Simpson Transfer Loading Station (TLS), Sura, Lagos, on Wednesday, 23rd February, 2022. With him are; MD/CEO, LAWMA, Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni (r); SA to the Governor on Drainage Services, Mr Joe Igbokwe (2nd right); LAWMA’s ED Finance, Mr. Kunle Adebiyi (3rd left); rep. of the Oba of Lagos, Chief Ismail Folaji (2nd left), and PS. Office of the Environmental Services, Dr. Omobolaji Tajudeen Gaji (L).
Sanwo-Olu said the whole essence of the standard waste bins was to simplify the process of waste management from the source.
“When you acquire the bins, you simply sort your waste and drop all recyclable items like cans, plastic, cartons, water sachet, etc. in the blue bin; while you drop the general waste in the green bin. The stability of those bins ensures easy handling by the waste collectors, who come around periodically, to empty them.
“While the PSP operators show up to empty the green bins, the recyclers come around for the blue, containing the recyclable items, which are weighed and recorded, until you are ready for redemption in cash or kind,” he said.
Rep of the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Tunji Bello (2nd Left); SA to the Governor on Drainage Services, Mr Joe Igbokwe (L); MD. FCMB, Mrs. Yemisi Edun (m); MD/CEO, LAWMA, Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni (2nd right); and PS. Office of the Environmental Services, Dr. Omobolaji Tajudeen Gaji (r), during the unveiling of the smart waste bins for ‘Adopt-A-Bin’ project, at the LAWMA Simpson Transfer Loading Station (TLS), Sura, Lagos, on Wednesday, 23rd February, 2022.
The governor appealed to corporate bodies, to incorporate in their Corporate Social Responsibilities, CSR initiatives, the adoption of communities, especially, low-income areas, for mass provision of the waste bins, while urging all residents, markets, schools, hospitals, among others, to play their own individual roles, towards achieving a constantly clean city scape and sustainable environment.
Elucidating the concept of ‘Adopt A Bin’, the Managing Director, Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Ibrahim Odumboni shared: ‘Adopt A Bin is the concept of ensuring that every household in Lagos has a bin from the kitchen to the compound to the entire street to the estate. When you have a bin, you will definitely stop seeing indiscriminate dumping of refuse that we have across the city.’
L-R: MD/CEO, LAWMA, Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni; Special Adviser to the Governor on Drainage, Engr Joel Igbokwe; Commissioner of Environment, Mr Tunji Bello and Chairman of Onigbongbo LCDA, Hon. Oladotun Olakanle and others
‘The reason why a lot of wastes end up on our roads is because most of us don’t have bin in our houses. There are over 2 million households in Lagos and we can say 20% have a bin. We want to encourage people to have a bin. You can adopt a bin by going to our website or by just going out there to purchase a bin.’
‘But more importantly, we are talking about smart bins for a smart Lagos’, Trek Africa Newspaper can reliably report, ‘that’s what we want. This bin will tell you the owner and location of bin and also tell you the level of bin when it is full. We are initiating it with the launch of 40,000 bins. You can get it through your PSP operators. They will help you get it. You can pay online, through your PSP, or pay in instalment of 3, 6 or 9 months or pay outrightly. You can pay it into your bill so that it doesn’t become a burden to you. The green one is for general wase, the blue one is for recyclables, yellow and red for clinical wastes for our hospitals, and brown for garden waste. By the end of the year, we estimate that we have 500,000 across Lagos. The main aim for us is for every household to have a bin.’
‘From the 1st of April, all organized estates and commercial facilities in Lagos are mandated to separate their waste from source. When your PSP come to you and your plastic is not separated from other wastes, you will definitely have a price review which is 15% additional cost to what you are currently paying. This is so that you can sort waste at point of disposal. We should discontinue open dumping at our dumpsites. We want to ensure that what we dump in our dumpsites is minimal, say 10%. At the moment, we are producing fertilizers in our Odogunyan Plant thanks to our Governor who has done well by supporting us with taking waste management to another level. Last year we developed our own trucks and assembled it right here in Lagos. We will continue to try some of our different initiatives. We try educating kids in our primary schools. We have introduced Lagos Recycle’, Odumboni concluded.
In her goodwill speech, the Managing Director of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Mrs. Yemisi Edun remarked: ‘I cannot but thank the able Mr. Governor for prioritizing care for the environment and special wellbeing of the people of Lagos under his THEMES Agenda. His administration’s new initiative, Adopt A Bin tackles sanitation and recycling which bears eloquent testament to this commitment. It is a timely and critical intiative for preventing waste from clogging our water system while helping to inspire cleaner and more bearable trashing habits among Lagosians with every bin that is adopted. Let me also appreciate the MD of LAWMA, Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni and the leadership of LAWMA for improving waste management and environmental protection across Lagos. FCMB is proud to be associated with the Adopt A Bin initiative. We are optimistic that it would improve waste management and make our environment cleaner and safer.’
The Managing Director of WasteCare Solutions and Resources Management Ltd., Oluwole Shitta Bey also shared his goodwill, ‘This is another landmark achievement in ensuring that Lagos is cleaner, healthier, safer and environmentally friendly city to live in. This inititiative is also an integral part of the THEMES agenda of the Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu administration towards the promotion of circular economy. Adopt A Bin is an initiative that will ensure the proper containerization of all wastes in Lagos as that is the first step to bring circularity and elimination of air pollution through exposed waste. The bin is not only for storage, it is a unit of measurement and data management for sorting to recycle. This will enhance property valuation.’
On his part, Mr. David Oriyomi of the Association of Waste Managers stated: ‘We thank the Governor for the continuity of governance because waste containerization project was started by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and sustained by Gov. Babatunde Raji Fashola when he introduced the single-bin system. Today we have taken it to the next level by introducing a 2-bin system for Lagosians. The emission from the waste compactor trucks and the methane emanating from the dumpsite contributes to climate change. It should not be allowed to continue. All hands must be on deck to achieve waste minimization, reuse, and recycle into other products.’
‘As an association, we are finalizing a report for the government on how to unlock the potentials in waste and the role of PSP operators. We hope to present this report within 2 weeks’, Mr. Oriyomi hinted.
Dignitaries present at the event include the Special Adviser (Drainage and Water Resources) to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Engr. Joe Igbokwe; the GM of Lagos Parks and Gardens (LASPARK), Mrs. Adetoun Popoola, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Mr. Omobolaji Gaji, Chairman of Onigbongbo LCDA, Hon. Oladotun Olakanle. The Oba of Lagos, Oba Osuolale Akiolu was ably represented by Chief Ismail Folaji and other white-capped chiefs such as Omogbolahan Durosinmi, Tajudeen Durosinmi Etti, among others.
