The Lagos State Government has intensified its crackdown on environmental abuse by partnering with the National Union of Road Transport Workers and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria to tackle the growing menace of unauthorised waste dumping on road medians and public spaces across the state.

The strategic move was announced during a high-level stakeholders’ meeting held at Alausa, where top government officials and transport union leaders gathered to chart a new course in the fight for a cleaner Lagos.

Speaking at the meeting, the Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, commended the unions for their continued support, particularly in the recently reintroduced monthly environmental sanitation exercise, describing the collaboration as vital to restoring sanity across the metropolis.

Osiyemi expressed concern over the increasing rate of indiscriminate refuse disposal, especially on roads, medians, and bus stops, warning that such practices pose a serious threat to public health and the environment.

According to him, the government cannot win the war alone, stressing that transport unions, due to their strategic presence across Lagos, play a critical role in monitoring and reporting environmental violations.

In a major development, the Commissioner revealed that some union members would now work alongside the Lagos Waste Management Authority as “waste police” to enforce proper refuse disposal and discourage illegal dumping at garages and bus terminals.

Also addressing the gathering, LAWMA Managing Director, Muyiwa Gbadegesin, disclosed that Lagos generates an estimated 13,000 tonnes of waste daily, describing the figure as alarming and unsustainable if residents continue to dispose of waste recklessly.

He urged transport operators to extend the same discipline used in moving over 22 million commuters daily to environmental management, insisting that refuse should only be taken to designated collection points and not dumped on roads.

Gbadegesin also warned against the resurgence of street trading around bus stops and newly constructed roads, saying such activities threaten government investments in infrastructure and urban renewal.

Transportation stakeholder, Sola Giwa, assured the unions of the Special Task Force’s support in enforcing sanitation regulations, removing illegal structures and ensuring transport hubs remain clean and orderly.

Responding on behalf of the unions, leaders of NURTW and RTEAN pledged their commitment to the partnership, promising to support government efforts in sanitising Lagos and preventing environmental abuse.

The new alliance signals a bold step by the Lagos government to reclaim public spaces and rid the city of the ugly culture of turning roadsides into dumping grounds.