Non-Payment for Waste Collection Services to Become Criminal Offence in Lagos – Wahab

The Lagos State Government has warned residents who fail to pay for waste management services that non-payment could soon become a criminal offence.

The Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed this while speaking on efforts to improve waste management across the state.

Wahab said the standard waste management policy around the world is based on the “polluter-pays principle,” where those who generate waste are expected to pay for its proper collection and disposal.

He, however, expressed concern that some Lagos residents were refusing to pay for waste collection services provided by Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators.

According to the commissioner, such refusal to pay has negative effects on the state’s waste management system and makes it difficult to maintain effective sanitation services.

He said the government was currently rejigging the waste management system and would introduce measures to ensure residents pay for services rendered.