Commissioner Osiyemi warns NURTW, RTEAN members must clean up own garages before policing others

Lagos State Government on Saturday inaugurated a Special Task Force empowering transport union members to enforce sanitation at bus stops, garages, and major roads across the city. The move, announced at a ceremony in Alausa, Ikeja, sees members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) drafted as street-level ‘waste police’ to monitor indiscriminate dumping in transport corridors.

Commissioner for Transportation Oluwaseun Osiyemi said the initiative aims to curb a surge in refuse dumping along roadsides and inside parks, with Lagos generating an estimated 13,000 tonnes of waste daily. “We cannot fold our arms while people carry waste from their homes and dump it on roads, medians, and public spaces,” Osiyemi stated at the inauguration. He told union leaders that enforcement must begin within their own premises: “Before you can enforce discipline outside, your own garages and bus stops must be in order.”

The task force was launched amid criticism that many transport union parks themselves are hotspots for poor sanitation, shanties, and indiscriminate trading. Stakeholders have questioned whether unions previously accused of tolerating dirty garages can effectively police littering by commuters and traders. The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), represented by Managing Director Muyiwa Gbadegesin, backed the plan but noted that the real challenge remains large-scale collection gaps and illegal dumping by private sector operators.

Despite clearing over 418,000 tonnes of waste in May and addressing 173 identified black spots, LAWMA continues to face complaints from residents about uncollected household waste and blocked drains. Critics argue that while union-led patrols could deter petty littering around bus stops through spot fines and visible enforcement, they do not address systemic failures in contracted waste evacuation or alleged illegal dumping by licensed operators.

The Lagos government maintains that the task force will focus on changing behaviour at high-traffic sites such as bus parks and lay-bys. However, observers say real progress requires LAWMA to improve oversight of private contractors responsible for residential waste collection. As at now, there is no announced plan to expand union involvement beyond street-level monitoring.

Source: https://www.pulse.ng/story/lagos-transport-unions-waste-task-force-2026062215180852665