By The Lagos State Government has inaugurated a Special Task Force to monitor roads, bus stops, garages and lay-bys across the state in a renewed effort to combat indiscriminate waste disposal.
The initiative, unveiled on Saturday June 20, 2026, at Alausa, will involve members of major transport unions working alongside government agencies to identify and apprehend offenders who dump refuse in unauthorized locations.
Speaking at the inauguration, the Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, described the exercise as a partnership between government and transport operators aimed at preserving the state’s environment.
”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 said.
Osiyemi said the strategic presence of transport union members across Lagos made them vital partners in enforcing environmental standards. He explained that selected union members would work with the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) as “waste police” to monitor public spaces and report environmental violations.
”We cannot be on every road twenty-four hours a day. What we are asking for is collaboration because this fight is not for government alone; it is for all of us,” he stated.
The commissioner warned that the government would no longer tolerate illegal waste disposal, stressing that offenders would face sanctions.
He also directed transport unions to take responsibility for maintaining cleanliness in their garages, parks and bus stops, noting that poor sanitation in such areas contributes to environmental degradation.
”Before you can enforce discipline outside, your own garages and bus stops must be in order,” he said.
Osiyemi further condemned indiscriminate trading and the proliferation of makeshift structures within transport parks, saying they often become sources of waste accumulation and other illegal activities.
”You must stop allowing indiscriminate trading in your parks and bus stops. You must stop the proliferation of shanties in garages. Every garage must have cleaners and must be maintained at all times,” he added.
The inauguration of the task force forms part of broader efforts by the Lagos State Government to improve environmental sanitation and strengthen compliance with waste management regulations across the metropolis.
The meeting was attended by senior government officials and leaders of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN).
