The initiative, which brings together the National Union of Road Transport Workers and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, was formally unveiled on Saturday during a joint press briefing held at the Ministry of Transportation Conference Room in Alausa, Ikeja.
Officials say the partnership is designed to turn motor parks and garages into monitoring points for environmental compliance, with union members expected to help identify and report individuals engaging in illegal waste disposal along highways, medians and roadsides.
Government seeks grassroots enforcement support
Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, said the state can no longer tolerate the growing menace of roadside dumping, describing it as both a public health risk and an environmental threat.
He explained that transport union members, who operate across virtually every part of the state, would now be strategically positioned as “eyes on the road” in support of enforcement agencies.
“We have observed the indiscriminate dumping of refuse on the roadside, and that is why we invited the transport union workers because they have branches across roads in Lagos State,” he said.
Osiyemi added that members of parks and garages would be empowered to monitor offenders and ensure immediate intervention.
“We want members of parks and garages across the state to serve as our eyes in monitoring those who dump refuse on the expressway indiscriminately and arrest them.”
He warned that the state government would not hesitate to prosecute violators under existing environmental laws.
LAWMA calls for stricter compliance
Managing Director of the Lagos Waste Management Authority, Muyiwa Gbadegesin, reinforced the urgency of the campaign, saying Lagos can no longer afford unchecked dumping of waste in public spaces.
“We must read a riot act to ourselves and, from today, there must be no waste dumped on any road. We know that with the support of the transport unions, we will achieve that,” he said.
Gbadegesin also urged transport operators to play an active role in preventing offenders from using motor parks as illegal dumping points.
“We want you to send anyone carrying waste back home and not allow them to dump refuse close to your garages,” he added, while noting that LAWMA would continue to intensify evacuation operations across the state.
Wider enforcement measures planned
Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Transportation, Sola Giwa, disclosed that the state government will step up routine inspections of parks and garages, with sanctions expected for locations found to be contributing to environmental degradation.
He said enforcement efforts would now extend beyond street-level monitoring to include transport hubs and commercial loading points.
Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Sam Egube, also urged transport workers to serve as whistleblowers, stressing that community intelligence would be critical to sustaining the campaign.
Sanitation crisis and government response
The renewed push comes amid growing public concern over piles of refuse reported in parts of Lagos in recent weeks, prompting Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to order the immediate evacuation of waste across the state.
The directive followed complaints from residents over delays in waste collection and the increasing visibility of refuse along roads, medians and residential areas.
In response, authorities have intensified enforcement operations and repeated warnings against illegal dumping, particularly in drainage channels and unauthorised public spaces.
Officials maintain that proper waste management remains essential not only for environmental cleanliness but also for flood prevention and public health protection in Nigeria’s commercial capital.