The Managing Director of Zoolion Nigeria, Habiba Abubakar, has said the company’s emergency intervention in Lagos State’s waste management system will significantly improve waste collection, reduce delays experienced by Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators, and support the state’s drive towards a cleaner environment.
Abubakar spoke after the completion of a major intervention aimed at restoring access to landfill sites that had become difficult to reach following weeks of heavy rainfall.
She explained that the recent waste collection crisis in Lagos was not caused by a lack of waste evacuation from homes, but by the inability of refuse trucks to access dump sites because of flooded and deteriorated access roads.
According to her, the situation created long queues of waste collection trucks at landfill sites, slowing turnaround times and disrupting the entire waste management chain.
“The core of the problem was that most of the landfill sites became inaccessible because of the rains. The roads were in poor condition, making it difficult for trucks to dump waste,” she said.
“What should ordinarily take a truck two trips in a day ended up taking several days or even a week in some cases. When PSP operators cannot offload waste quickly, they are unable to return to residential areas to pick up more refuse. That is the effect residents have been experiencing.”
Abubakar said Zoolio Nigeria, whose parent company has over 25 years of experience in waste management across Africa, responded to a request by the Lagos State Government and the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) to help restore operations, even though the assignment was outside the company’s contractual obligations.
She noted that the company specialises in waste treatment and recycling rather than household waste collection.
“Our role in Lagos is to help move the waste management system from a linear economy to a circular economy. We receive waste after it has been collected and convert it into useful resources through waste-to-wealth initiatives,” she explained.
According to her, LAWMA approached the company because of its proven expertise in managing waste infrastructure across several African countries.
“They know what we are capable of doing and asked us to assist because this was an emergency. We considered it and decided to support Lagos because improving the lives of people is part of our mission.”
Abubakar said the company mobilised technical experts from several African countries to execute the intervention.
She disclosed that although the project was designed for completion within 21 days, persistent rainfall delayed the work, extending the delivery period to 25 days.
“We understood the urgency because every day of delay had consequences for residents. Despite the weather challenges, we completed the intervention within 25 days.”
She expressed confidence that the rehabilitation work would drastically improve operations at the landfill sites.
“Now trucks can move more freely, tip waste faster and return to collect more refuse. That means quicker turnaround time for PSP operators, improved efficiency and ultimately cleaner neighbourhoods for Lagos residents.”
The Zoolio Nigeria MD added that the intervention forms part of a broader partnership with the Lagos State Government aimed at achieving sustainable waste management and improving environmental sanitation across the state.
“Our vision is to continue partnering with Lagos to build a cleaner city. Once the larger project is completed, everyone will benefit from a more efficient and sustainable waste management system.”
Addressing concerns over indiscriminate dumping of refuse on roadsides and medians, Abubakar said many incidents were driven by operational bottlenecks rather than deliberate disregard for environmental regulations.
She explained that when landfill sites become congested or inaccessible, some operators resort to illegal dumping to avoid prolonged delays.
Intervention will restore faster waste collection in Lagos says Abubakar
