As the era of Lagos Waste Management Agency’s (LAWMA) rickety compactors wobbling and criss-crossing both accessible and inaccessible street is coming to an end as new foreign investor, Visionscape has been commissioned by Lagos State Government to handle its waste matters.
To boost the scheme,Visionscape is partnering with technology leaders who will deploy RFID indent systems, UHF transponders and GPRS sensors in the new deal.
Giving a graphic line of action marshaled to track the intractable solid waste management components in Lagos during a workshop, Maimuna Malibe, manager, Environmental Product and Service Development at Visionscape, said, the company’s key and immediate roles include rescuing the battered environment and essentially ‘recovering’ wastes, turning them to other useful ventures for the society.
According to Malibe, “The immediate intervention is covered in our 60-day programme to create awareness for Visionscape services and make sure there is no service gap in waste collection in Lagos State”.
“Before we rolled out of compactors doo-to-door collection, we procured tippers that will collect wastes from blackspots, immediate environments and highways where wastes are indiscriminately dumped. For 60 days, which commenced on July 1, 2017, we are going to be collecting wastes. So, members of the public who spot any blackspot in their neighbourhood should reach out to Visionscape and we will clear it. That will precede the commencement of our operations in September. The charges are at Visionscape’s costs.
“We are going to be involved in waste containment providing bins to residents, wastes collection, transportation, disposal, treatment and resources recovery. Basically, we are looking at the entire waste management chain; to create value out of waste. I like to say waste is not a waste until you waste it. It is always something to do with different materials we produce in our homes and in commercial places. Even a day old baby can produce wastes.
“So, at Visionscape, we are looking at different ways of converting the resources that we collect; it goes beyond collecting from the residence and go bury them at the landfill sites. We have the concession facilities that we have taken over the operations like the three transfer loading stations located in Agege, Oshodi and Tappa. They will provide the stop-gap for our operations. Therefore, we are trying to stop our trucks from traveling very far.
“Imagine the truck that has to travel from Badagry to the landfill in Epe; it doesn’t make any operational sense; in terms of our freight management and cost of operations. Thus, we have taken the concession of the three transfer stations in such that all the contractors- tricycles, pick-up trucks that collect wastes from the residents or communities, are going to dump wastes at the transfer-loading stations closest to that particular community,” hopeful Malibe said.
