Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, says the ongoing reform in solid waste management sector under the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI), will boost the economy of the state and provide employment for residents.
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Gov. Ambode stated this in his address at the soft launch of the initiative held in Agege.
The governor while commending Visionscape Group, a multinational company the state recently engaged to collect waste across the fifty-seven Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas said Visionscape boasted of infrastructure with 600 brand new compactors and thousands of electronically tracked bins.
Ambode explained that the new initiative would usher in financially viable and technology-driven sub-sector to the solid waste sector, adding that the economy of Lagos would benefit handsomely from it
He said as a result of the enterprise about 40,000 new business and job opportunities would be created in the state.
The governor reiterated the commitment of his administration to a sustainable environment, saying it could not be sacrificed at the altar of poor sanitation and inefficient solid waste management.
Explaining measures put in place by the state to regulate the waste management sector, Ambode said, “To effectively regulate and monitor the sector, adequate institutional arrangement has been put in place. LAWMA is being repositioned to focus on its primary regulatory roles, while the Public utilities monitoring Assurance unit (PUMAS) has been established to coordinate the modalities of billing, revenue assurance and enforcement of the Public Utilities Levy (PUL) an annual levy which has come to replace the monthly residential waste bills and support critical waste infrastructure.
“The kick against Indiscipline (KAI) Brigade is being transformed to the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps Agency (LAGESC) to assist in the enforcement of the payment of PUL and regulating commercial players in the new arrangements.
“To officers of the new LAGESC, you are urged to comport yourself in a sustained and exemplary manner. You will be working closely to educate members of the public on the new ways of doing things.”
