Residents of FESTAC Town in Lagos have commended the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) for what they described as timely and cost-effective waste collection services that have improved sanitation in the area.
In separate interviews on Wednesday, residents said the authority’s regular pick-ups had eased years of reliance on informal waste collectors, popularly known as Abokis, whose services were often irregular and expensive.
According to them, LAWMA now collects refuse every Thursday and occasionally on Sundays, a schedule that has curbed indiscriminate dumping and reduced environmental pollution.
Mrs. Grace Momodu, who lives on 5th Avenue, said LAWMA’s monthly tariff offered better value.
“LAWMA services suit my budget better than the Abokis because I don’t always have waste to dispose of, yet they can charge high amounts. Informal carriers may demand as much as ₦1,000 per pick-up, while LAWMA charges just ₦1,000 monthly,” she explained.
Similarly, Mrs. Eniola Omotola of 22 Road praised the affordability of LAWMA’s model.
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“They charge ₦1,000 per month regardless of the volume of waste. With the Abokis, that same amount may not cover much because of the limits to what they can carry,” she noted.
For Mr. Emmanuel James, convenience and scale make LAWMA the better option.
“Sometimes you may need the Aboki, and they may not be available. LAWMA can collect waste from an entire close, something Abokis can’t manage,” he said.
While acknowledging improvements, Ms. Blessed-Gift Nwaruh of 3rd Avenue urged the agency to push further.
“In the past, our area looked really dirty. Now, waste is picked up earlier, but more should still be done to restore FESTAC to its former glory,” she said.
Residents agreed that LAWMA’s consistency has instilled confidence that waste will be cleared on schedule, helping to create a cleaner, healthier environment across FESTAC.