During a Lagos governorship debate on Friday, the Labour Party (LP) and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidates slammed the state’s waste‑management system as “inefficient and in need of urgent reform.” The event, organised by the Nigeria Debate Consortium and hosted by Vanguard, Channels Television, TVC News, The PUNCH and TheCable, saw the two contenders outline their criticisms and proposals for change.
Labour’s Gbadebo Rhodes‑Vivour said Lagos’ waste system is “too centralised” and that local governments are largely excluded from the process. He accused the state of failing to develop a waste‑to‑wealth value chain, describing the current approach as a “waste‑pick‑and‑dump system.” Rhodes‑Vivour pledged that, if elected, he would decentralise waste management, involve local authorities and create economic opportunities from waste so that residents, local governments and the state would all benefit.
NDC’s Funso Doherty echoed the call for reform, noting that “parts of Lagos are smelling, while other parts are clean” and calling the problem a “failure of government.” He highlighted inadequate investment in waste‑collection trucks as a key factor and blamed successive administrations for withdrawing from the social sector while expecting private operators to fill the gap. “Part of the problem is that we don’t have enough investment in trucks,” Doherty said, adding that the government’s approach has left the waste sector under‑resourced.
Both candidates stressed that Lagos’ current waste‑management practices do not meet the city’s needs and that a coordinated, locally‑led strategy is essential to address the city’s sanitation challenges.
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>
