Lagos State government has tasked Private Sector Partnership (PSP) operators in waste management on improving their service delivery and transparency. 
 
Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources Commissioner, Tokunbo Wahab and Special Adviser to the governor on Environment, Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, made the call during a meeting with PSP operators at the weekend.
 
Addressing the executive of the Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria (AWAM) during the meeting at Alausa, Wahab noted that their modes of operations must be digitised to make it more transparent and profitable. 
   
He added that the association should put in place proper data collation and enumeration of all commercial and private facilities being serviced as this process would increase accountability and allow the operators to carry out their responsibilities seamlessly for the benefit of all.
 
He said the government is aware that the PSP operators need some interventions but they must explain why the revenue being generated presently has dropped by 50 per cent within five years.

He said: “Being aware that PSP operators are in business to make profit and sustain employment, then cash collection must be digitised for transparency. If for example, you tell me that you have control of 45 per cent of this business, tell me what 100 per cent of the business is, these are some of the logical questions that demand answers.
  
“When you had a surplus, did you increase the stake of the government? As such I reject the appeal to reduce the 25% remit to Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA). I will not go that route except on two conditions: I want the enumeration of all the houses and digitize the number of household facilities across the state.”
 
The commissioner said the continuous increase in population with the corresponding increase in waste generation has necessitated the need for a major change in PSP daily operations, adding that the present costing is not sustainable in the light of economic growth.
 
According to him, the time has come for PSP operators to create an online portal where Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers are installed in their trucks to provide accurate locations always, including numbers of trips undertaken by each operator daily among other things.
 
He urged PSP operators to be ready to confront the issue of waste, saying there was an urgent need to continually clear waste across the metropolis, while a holistic solution was being worked out.
 
On his part, Special Adviser on Environment, Mr. Rotimi-Akodu, said the government understands the challenges of  solid waste management as a result of urbanisation and population growth resulting in large tons of waste being generated daily. 
 
According to him, residents will expect an uplift in the city’s waste management system with the resumption of door-to-door residential waste collection by the PSP operators, especially during the yuletide period and after.
 
Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services, Olalekan Shodeinde urged PSP operators to employ technology and innovation to make things work better for all, by embracing digitisation for better service delivery.
 

Similarly, Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Dr. Gaji Omobolaji Tajudeen, urged the PSP operators to redesign templates for the provision of their services so that their proficiency and efficiency can be measured.
 
Also, the Managing Director of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, stressed the need for a verifiable database to ascertain the size of the PSP businesses.
 
He appealed to the PSP operators to provide accurate data for all households so that the government could determine those paying and those that are not.
 
Responding, President of AWAM, Mr. Olugbenga Adebola expressed appreciation to the state for re-awakening the consciousness of residents to be more environmentally conscious. 
 
He said AWAN members are committed and set to continually work with the state government having invested billions of naira in the project which has contributed a sizeable percentage to the economy of Lagos State.