Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has replaced the Managing Director of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, with Olajuwon Mautin Akinyemi as part of a major reorganisation of the agency.
Akinyemi has been appointed acting Managing Director with immediate effect, according to the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, who confirmed the appointment on Tuesday, November 10.
The leadership change also includes the appointment of Dr Tijani Olorunwa as acting Director of Operations, while Kunle Adebiyi retains his position as Executive Director, Finance.
The reorganisation reportedly includes the redeployment of officers on Salary Grade Levels 13 to 17 to the mainstream Lagos State Civil Service, local governments and Local Council Development Areas.
However, officers in LAWMA’s Legal Department are exempted from the exercise to avoid disruptions to ongoing legal matters and concession agreements.
The heads of Landfill Operations, LAWMA Operations and Private Sector Participation Operations are also to remain in their positions for an initial 90-day period to support continuity while the new management settles in.
The development follows months of complaints over refuse accumulation in several parts of Lagos, including residential streets, major roads, road medians and drainage channels.
Sanwo-Olu had earlier expressed dissatisfaction with the state of waste management during an inspection of the Olusosun Dumpsite in Ojota, where he directed an urgent review of the agency’s operations and declared a state of emergency on waste management.
Reports in October indicated that the governor had asked Gbadegesin to resign over the slow pace of waste evacuation and the continued accumulation of refuse across the state.
The latest appointment confirms a change in the agency’s leadership, alongside a wider administrative restructuring.
The situation has also affected communities in Amuwo-Odofin, including Mile 2, where residents have raised concerns about waste collection and disposal.
In a recent update before the leadership change, Gbadegesin said Mile 2 had been cleared and routine waste collection sustained, while additional trucks had been deployed to Doyin-Orile and surrounding communities.
The new management is expected to oversee LAWMA’s waste collection, transportation and disposal operations as Lagos continues to address its waste management challenges.