Effective waste management is crucial for a city’s reputation and to ensure sustainable development and quality of life. In Lagos, the waste management crisis is due to a combination of factors starting from poor environmental stewardship by residents, to inefficient operations by the relevant agencies and insufficient policy action and investment. Despite the extensive potentials of the sector, the successes have been marginal due to glitches along the value chain. Sectoral disconnects have perpetuated environmental degradation and public health crises across Lagos. This highlights the urgent need for integrated, cross‐sectoral strategies that recognize informal‐sector roles and tackle both solid waste and sanitation challenges holistically

An effective waste management reform process should start with the expansion of extended producer responsibility principles beyond the current voluntary approach to a more targeted Polluter Pays approach that ensures the manufacturing and commercial entities contribute tangibly to reducing pollution (including plastic). By domesticating and enforcing the National Policy on Plastic Waste Management which mandates the Polluter Pays Principle, manufacturers of plastics and companies with high uptake of recyclable materials are compelled to fund the collection and recycling of their products. One way they can do this is to establish buy-back programmes. Anchoring the buy-back programmes primarily in the informal economy will result in co-benefits for environmental, economic and social sustainability.

Another important strategy for effective waste management reforms is embedding it in the local level. The first step is to mainstream informal workers into the waste management value chain and improving their economic and social rights through clear guidelines, training, and licensing, thus harnessing their proven efficiency in recovery and recycling. A further step Is to empower local governments to design and finance tailored waste strategies for their various constituencies. This decentralized approach ensures waste management solutions are contextual, and it also reduces reliance on a single central authority.

It is important that the management of waste in Lagos is protected from policy inconsistency. For instance, a lot of resources were deployed to the Cleaner Lagos Initiative. These were lost due to political pushback and eventual reversal by subsequent administrations.

Business opportunities in the circular economy should be catalyzed. There is obvious potential for job creation and revenue generation in the recycling sector, waste management operations and reselling. Integrating informal waste workers who are adding value to the sector will no doubt add economic and environmental value, while reducing the economic losses from health care costs associated with a dirty environment and toxic fumes from air pollution.

Waste-to-value practices can integrate into the circular economy, recovering valuable materials like copper and gold from electronic waste. LAWMA’s pilot biogas system at Ikosi Fruit Market, which converts food scraps into energy, demonstrates scalable waste‑to‑wealth potential, and this can be extended to abattoirs and other food markets.

Waste management infrastructure across the board requires expansion and improvement. The provision of more public toilets, transfer loading stations, transiting from dumpsites to landfills, designated recycling centres, alongside programmes like the Adopt‑A‑Bin scheme and deployment of new waste trucks, is required to fill critical service voids in under-served areas, limit illegal dumping and reduce open defecation.

Urban management also needs to be enhanced. For example, open gutters and drainage systems in Lagos often accumulate stagnant water mixed with waste, which inadvertently becomes a breeding ground for mosquitoes and sanitation related disease germs. This becomes more dangerous when effluents from slaughterhouses get mixed with the wastewater from residential areas, polluting ground water supplies. There is also a need for targeted action for hazardous waste, special areas such as markets and hospitals, as well as expanding waste management services for underserved communities.

Sustained public awareness campaigns focused on educating citizens on proper disposal, health risks, and recycling opportunities shifts attitudes and behaviours. These can be deployed through schools and local community groups, and targeted campaigns based on socio-economic profiles of the various communities. Furthermore, incentivizing source separation and supporting value‑addition projects turns waste into resources and jobs, especially at the municipal level.

The smell of Lagos is far more than a sensory inconvenience; it is a symptom of deeper urban management gaps, waste management inefficiencies, inconsistent policies and citizen irresponsibility. A comprehensive and inclusive approach to waste management is the only way transform the city into a cleaner, healthier environment for all its residents.

From decentralizing waste management to integrating informal waste collectors and prioritizing circular economic practices, Lagos can transition from being overwhelmed by its waste to harnessing it as a resource. The responsibility lies with all stakeholders; from everyday people committing to good environmental stewardship, to policy makers set on ensuring efficient, inclusive and affordable service delivery⎈