Morganable NEws / Communities
Lagos youths are taking a more active role in tackling indiscriminate waste disposal as LAWMA begins a new initiative focused on environmental education, recycling and community participation.
Lagos —
The fight against indiscriminate waste disposal in Lagos is taking a new direction, with young people being placed at the centre of community environmental action.
About 60 youths drawn from student and youth organisations recently joined a new Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) initiative designed to equip them with practical knowledge and encourage them to take environmental campaigns into their communities.
The initiative, known as the LAWMA CARES and Lagos Youth Initiative, was launched at LAWMA’s headquarters in Ijora-Olopa on September 11, 2026.
Participants came from groups including the National Youth Council of Nigeria, National Association of Nigerian Students, Lagos Watch Alliance and Youths for Sustainability.
Rather than limiting young people to participation in occasional environmental clean-ups, the programme seeks to involve them in education, advocacy, monitoring and discussions around the future of waste management in Lagos.
Why the youth are being targeted
Waste management affects every community.
From markets and schools to residential areas and business districts, residents generate waste every day. Yet the responsibility for keeping public spaces clean cannot rest entirely on government agencies.
LAWMA is therefore seeking to strengthen public participation by giving young people the knowledge and platform to influence behaviour within their communities.
At the launch, LAWMA Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, represented by Executive Director, Finance, Kunle Adebiyi, said young people had an important role in changing public attitudes towards waste management.
Participants will receive practical knowledge about recycling, composting, waste-to-energy and other aspects of the circular economy.
They will also learn more about the responsibilities of LAWMA and residents in maintaining a cleaner environment.
Taking the message beyond the classroom
One major part of the initiative is its community reach.
Participants are to take what they learn into schools, neighbourhoods and social media platforms.
This could give the programme a wider impact because young people can communicate environmental messages through channels that their peers already use.
For example, a student who learns about waste separation can share the practice with classmates. A youth leader can organise a community sensitisation programme. Another participant could use social media to explain how residents can properly handle recyclable materials.
These small actions can gradually influence everyday behaviour.
LAWMA also plans periodic training, facility visits, youth-focused communication programmes and clean-up activities.
The authority said it would also recognise outstanding youth-led environmental initiatives.
Beyond clean-ups
The initiative is not focused only on cleaning up existing waste.
It also introduces participants to the economic possibilities within the circular economy.
Recycling, composting, material recovery and waste-to-energy are increasingly being discussed as areas where young people can develop businesses and new services.
LAWMA said the programme could create opportunities for young entrepreneurs in emerging green industries.
That economic angle gives the initiative another layer.
For many young people, environmental campaigns can sometimes appear to be activities that depend entirely on volunteering. However, exposing participants to the business side of waste management could help them see opportunities within the sector.
Young entrepreneurs could potentially explore collection, recycling, composting, education, technology and other services connected to the waste value chain.
Young people raise community concerns
The participants also used the launch to raise questions about some of the challenges residents face.
Their concerns covered waste collection, enforcement, illegal dumping, community monitoring, scavengers and cart pushers, recycling and material recovery facilities.
These discussions are important because waste management problems can differ from one community to another.
A strategy that works in a residential neighbourhood may not produce the same result in a busy market area.
By giving young people direct access to LAWMA officials, the programme also creates a channel through which community concerns can be communicated.
The initiative could therefore become more than an awareness campaign if participants continue to provide feedback from their communities.
Government cannot do it alone
The Lagos State Ministry of the Environment has also backed the initiative.
The Permanent Secretary, Dr Gaji Omobolaji Tajudeen, represented by Director, Scientific, Mrs Yewande Obasa, commended the programme and encouraged participants to become environmental ambassadors among their peers.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of NANS Lagos Chapter, Quadri Odewunmi, pledged the support of participating youth organisations for environmental clean-ups, advocacy and grassroots sensitisation.
This community-based approach reflects a broader reality.
Government agencies can provide infrastructure, regulations and enforcement. However, residents still make daily decisions about how they store, sort and dispose of waste.
When those decisions change, environmental policies can have a stronger impact.
A longer-term community role
LAWMA said it plans to explore community-based circular economy projects and stronger partnerships with youth and community organisations.
The authority also intends to continue training participants and provide opportunities for them to engage with waste management operations.
For Lagos communities, the programme could create a new generation of residents who understand both the environmental and economic sides of waste management.
It also gives young people a platform to contribute ideas rather than simply receive instructions.
The success of the initiative will depend on what happens after the launch.
Regular training, community engagement and follow-up will be necessary to ensure that participants remain active.
If the young people take the lessons into their schools, neighbourhoods and online communities, the initiative could extend beyond the 60 participants who attended the launch.
For now, LAWMA is betting on a simple idea: lasting environmental improvement requires residents to become part of the solution.
By putting young people at the centre of the effort, Lagos is giving communities a greater role in waste management across the state.
