*The Lagos State Government restates its commitment to enforcing environmental laws, emphasising the cooperation of transport unions is indispensable in view of their strategic presence across the state
Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect
In line with its continued efforts at enhancing environmental sustainability across the metropolis, the Lagos State Government (LASG) has inaugurated a Special Task Force to monitor the metropolis, bus stops, garages, and lay-bys against indiscriminate waste dumping.
ConsumerConnect gathered the Lagos Government, which said this at the inauguration of the Task Force Saturday, June 20, 2026, charged transport union members to act as “waste police” henceforth.
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Oluwaseun Osiyemi, Lagos Honourable Commissioner for Transportation, also addressed the union members at a meeting held at Alausa-Ikeja.
The meeting had in attendance top government functionaries and the leadership of the two main transport unions, the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN).
Osiyemi commended the unions for past collaboration and especially on the reintroduced monthly sanitation exercise.
The Commissioner further stated: “The meeting this morning is nothing but a call for more collaboration.
“Our beautiful city is being challenged by indiscriminate refuse disposal and environmental abuse; we cannot fold our arms while people carry waste from their homes and dump it on roads, medians, and public spaces. This is totally unacceptable.”
He equally explained while the Lagos State Government remains committed to enforcing environmental laws, the cooperation of transport unions is indispensable, given their strategic presence across the state.
Osiyemi noted: “We cannot be on every road twenty-four hours a day; we are not abandoning this responsibility to you, neither are we doing it alone.
“What we are asking for is collaboration because this fight is not for government alone; it is for all of us.
“In collaboration with LAWMA, some of your union members will act as our waste Police.”
He warned Lagos residents that there would be consequences for individuals found engaging in illegal waste disposal going forward.
According to him, the era of impunity is over.
Turning to the transport union leaders at the meeting, the Commissioner charged them to take ownership of their garages, bus stops, and parks by ensuring they are clean, orderly, and free from illegal activities.
Osiyemi stated: “Our roads are being littered by people every day; we want you to take responsibility as our partners to ensure this does not happen. “Before you can enforce discipline outside, your own garages and bus stops must be in order.”
He frowned on the indiscriminate trading and erection of makeshift structures in transport parks.
Such activities, he noted, have contributed significantly to waste generation and environmental degradation.
Osiyemi asserted: “You must stop allowing indiscriminate trading in your parks and bus stops. “You must stop the proliferation of shanties in garages; these places should not become centres for environmental abuse or criminal activities.
“Every garage must have cleaners and must be maintained at all times.”
Earlier, in his address, Muyiwa Gbadegesin, Managing Director of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), had emphasised the scale of the challenge facing the state.
Gbadegesin disclosed that Lagos State generates about 13,000 tonnes of waste daily.
The Managing Director of LAWMA lauded the transport unions for moving over 22 million commuters daily with a high level of organisation and discipline.
He also stressed that such capacity should also be deployed in supporting environmental sustainability.
“We need your support. Lagos is our home, and we must keep it clean. From today, there must be no waste brought onto any road.
“Waste should be collected from homes and taken to designated points. Don’t bring refuse to the roads,” Gbadegesin said.
He further urged transport unions to stop street trading around bus stops and newly constructed roads, warning that allowing traders to return to cleared locations undermines the huge investments made by the government in road infrastructure and urban renewal.
The LAWMA Chief explained: “We have invested enormous resources in constructing roads for the benefit of Lagosians.
“We should not allow people to trade indiscriminately on these roads or turn bus stops into markets; this must stop.”
In their response, the representatives of the unions at the meeting expressed readiness to partner with the state government on waste policing in the metropolis, as well as in the garages and bus stops