Nigeria: Lagos State partners Zoomlion Nigeria to transform waste management sector

The Lagos State Government has signed a landmark Waste Management and Processing Concession Agreement with ZoomLion Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of Ghana’s Jospong Group of Companies, to overhaul the state’s waste management systems through a Public-Private Partnership.

The agreement was formalised at the Lagos State House in Alausa, Ikeja, by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Executive Chairman of Jospong Group, Dr Joseph Siaw Agyepong. The partnership will see the construction of two state-of-the-art facilities—a material recovery plant and a waste recycling plant—aimed at modernising waste collection and processing in the state.

With Lagos generating approximately 13,000 tonnes of waste daily, the new facilities are expected to play a critical role in improving efficiency and sustainability. As part of the agreement, Transfer Loading Stations will be constructed at the Olusosun Dumpsite in Ketu and the Solous III Dumpsite in Igando. These facilities will serve as key transit points, enabling the closure and decommissioning of the dumpsites they will replace.

The Olusosun station is set to redirect 2,500 tonnes of daily waste to a Material Recovery Facility in Ikorodu, while the Solous III station will channel 1,500 tonnes to a similar plant in Badagry. To support this network, the project will also deploy self-tipping tricycles to facilitate waste collection in hard-to-reach areas.

Governor Sanwo-Olu described the agreement as a pivotal moment in Lagos State’s environmental agenda. “Today, we have witnessed the official commencement of a mutually beneficial relationship between a forward-looking private company and a committed public sector. This agreement will redefine how we manage, process, and recycle waste in Lagos. It’s not just a change in strategy but a complete transformation of our waste ecosystem,” he said.

He assured stakeholders that the project would not lead to job losses, but would instead create more than 5,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities, particularly for those engaged in sanitation and waste services. “From food waste to plastics and glass, materials will now be recycled into reusable products. This opens the door to future opportunities in carbon credits, biodiversity, and biofuels. Waste will no longer be a burden but a resource,” the governor added.

Lagos State’s Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, praised the initiative, describing it as a major step towards a circular economy in waste management. “We can now begin to generate wealth from what we previously discarded. This project was thoroughly reviewed by the Executive Council and the House of Assembly before it was approved,” he explained.

Dr Agyepong, the Executive Chairman of Jospong Group, emphasised the importance of intra-African collaboration and assured that ZoomLion Nigeria would meet all terms of the agreement within the 18-month completion timeframe. “This partnership is poised to redefine waste management in Lagos, turning waste into a valuable resource,” he stated.

The project is expected to serve as a model for other African cities grappling with rapid urbanisation and its associated environmental challenges.