By Our Reporter
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, has appointed Olajuwon Akinyemi as the Acting Managing Director of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), replacing Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, as part of a major restructuring of the agency.
The development was confirmed by the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, who said Akinyemi’s appointment takes immediate effect.
Omotoso also confirmed the appointment of Dr Tijani Olorunwa as Acting Director of Operations, while Mr Kunle Adebiyi retains his position as Executive Director, Finance.
The reorganisation also involves the redeployment of senior officers on Salary Grade Levels 13 to 17 to other arms of the Lagos State public service, including the mainstream Civil Service, local governments and Local Council Development Areas.
A source within LAWMA, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Punch that the exercise was part of the governor’s directive for a comprehensive overhaul of the authority to improve service delivery and address the waste management challenges confronting the state.
According to the source, officers in LAWMA’s Legal Department are exempted from the redeployment to avoid disruptions to ongoing legal matters and concession agreements.
The source added that the heads of Landfill Operations, LAWMA Operations and Private Sector Participation Operations would also remain in their positions for an initial period of 90 days to allow the new management to stabilise the authority and ensure continuity of operations.
Confirming Akinyemi’s appointment, Omotosho said the new acting managing director had been directed to assume office immediately as part of the restructuring.
The leadership change follows months of complaints by Lagos residents over refuse accumulation along roads, streets, residential areas and drainage channels across the state.
Reports had earlier indicated that Sanwo-Olu was dissatisfied with the pace of waste evacuation and had directed Gbadegesin to resign over the situation and alleged failure to respond promptly to directives on improving waste collection.
The latest development, however, suggests that the governor’s intervention extends beyond the replacement of the agency’s managing director to a wider restructuring of its workforce and operational departments.
Lagos generates an estimated 14,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste daily, making LAWMA central to the state’s waste collection, transportation, disposal and environmental sanitation efforts.
Akinyemi, an indigene of Badagry Local Government Area, is a seasoned administrator who was appointed by President Bola Tinubu in 2025 as Deputy Executive Secretary (Technical) of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).
Before the appointment, he served as Deputy Executive Secretary (Technical) in the Lagos State Civil Service for UBEC and also worked as Director of Administration and Human Resources in the state’s Office of Infrastructure.
The reorganisation is expected to usher in a new management structure as the authority continues its responsibility for waste management and environmental sanitation across Lagos State.
