On Tuesday evening, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo‑Olú announced that Olajuwon Akinyemi would serve as the acting Managing Director of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA). The appointment follows the forced resignation of former MD Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin amid a persistent waste‑management crisis across the state.
Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, confirmed the move and said that Akinyemi, who had previously been LAWMA’s Executive Director of Operations, will also take on the role of Executive Director, Finance. He added that new officers would be redeployed in the coming days as part of a broader restructuring of the agency’s management staff.
The decision comes after reports that Governor Sanwo‑Olú had directed Gbadegesin to resign on 19 October, following a series of inspections that highlighted the slow pace of waste evacuation and the accumulation of refuse in key parts of Lagos. In September, the governor warned that Gbadegesin’s handling of the crisis amounted to “sabotage” and declared a state of emergency on waste management.
Residents across districts such as Ogba, Idimu, Ejigbo, Mushin, Egbeda, Surulere, Ajegunle, Ikorodu, Ojo, Obalende, Apapa and Mile 2 have complained about worsening waste collection, with heaps of stinking refuse lining road medians, streets and drainage channels. The situation has raised concerns about environmental sanitation, public health, business disruption and the state’s image.
Before his appointment to LAWMA, Akinyemi served as Deputy Executive Secretary (Technical) for the Universal Basic Education Commission, a position he was appointed to by President Bola Tinubu in 2025. He has also held senior roles in the Lagos State Civil Service, including Director of Administration and Human Resources in the Office of Infrastructure.
The appointment of Akinyemi follows an earlier temporary appointment of Dr. Hassan Sanuth, Director of Sanitation Services in the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, who was drafted to assist LAWMA pending a substantive MD. Sanwo‑Olú’s move is seen as part of a broader effort to overhaul the agency and restore effective waste management across Lagos.
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>
