The Lagos State Government is set to criminalise failure to pay for waste collection services, Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said on Friday, August 28, 2026.
Wahab disclosed this in a statement on his official X account ahead of a radio programme on the gains of the revived monthly environmental sanitation exercise.
He said the government was reviewing the waste management system to address challenges affecting services provided by Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators, including non-payment by some residents.
Wahab said the state would enforce the “polluter pays” principle, under which waste generators bear the cost of proper disposal.
He said the system was being restructured and warned that, going forward, failure to pay for waste services would constitute a criminal offence.
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The commissioner also acknowledged shortcomings since the monthly sanitation exercise resumed, saying the government was addressing them.
Lagos revived the monthly exercise on April 25, 2026, scheduling it for the last Saturday of every month without a general movement restriction.
The announcement comes amid broader reforms in the waste sector. In May, the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) withdrew licences from some underperforming PSP operators and adjusted collection routes to improve service delivery.
In June, LAWMA announced a coordinated waste-policing initiative to strengthen enforcement against indiscriminate dumping and other environmental violations.
Wahab said the government remained committed to improving waste management and environmental sanitation across the state.