Lagos generates 13,000 tonnes of waste daily, highest globally, says Ambode

Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode has said that the state generates 13, 000 tonnes of waste per day which is the highest in the world.
Ambode who disclosed this at a sensitization workshop on water management and environmental control held in Lagos on Monday said the new waste management strategy being adopted by the state government encapsulated in the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI) was aimed at revolutionizing waste management with particular emphasis on reusing waste for other critical purposes and growing the economy as against the present practice of dumping.
Besides, the Governor said as government would be implementing new strategies to find a lasting solution to the problem of water shortages and flooding, it was also important for residents to play their part by bearing new attitudes towards civic obligations at all times, without which the efforts of government would be in futility.
“To that extent, we will reinvigorate our campaign against the dumping of refuse by citizens into canals. We will be stronger in enforcing our physical planning laws especially those building illegally on canals and blocking the free flow of water across the State,” Governor Ambode vowed.
On the flood incident that affected some parts of the state in the last one week where many houses were submerged and roads taken over by water, the governor said, “However, if we have learnt anything in the on-going flooding of some parts of the State, it is that there is an immediate, even urgent need for us to embark upon a review and reengineering of our canals and drainage systems.
“This must be pursued hand-in-hand with a clear and crystal re-envisioning of our water management system. So, in effect, what we should immediately pursue is a holistic solution to what is certain to be a recurring problem. It must be a sincere collaboration between government and the citizenry,” Governor Ambode said.