Landfill Waste Flow Analysis in Lagos, Nigeria – Insights into Collection Inefficiencies and PSP Involvement

Lagos, Nigeria faces critical challenges in municipal solid waste management due to rapid urbanization and rising waste generation. This study presents an analysis of waste collection data over an eight-month period from six major landfills in Lagos State to evaluate current operational performance. Findings reveal that Lagos generates approximately 13,000 tonnes of waste daily, yet only about one-third of this waste is officially collected and disposed at the monitored sites. On average, 170 waste collection vehicles visit each landfill per day, traveling a combined total of about 3,200 km daily. Up to 60% of total route time is spent idle in traffic congestion due to inefficient routing. Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators, coordinated by the Lagos Waste Management Agency (LAWMA), play a substantial role in waste collection. However, data indicate highly uneven contributions and vehicle utilization rates among PSP firms. The largest operator (LAWMA/Visionscape) accounted for 15% of all trips, while over 45% of smaller PSPs made fewer than 100 trips in eight months, pointing to under-utilized fleet capacity. Temporal analysis shows significant drops in collection activity on Sundays and overnight, with peaks at midday on weekdays. These patterns, along with infrastructure deficits and traffic delays, underscore systemic inefficiencies in the current waste collection system. The study highlights the need for strategic interventions such as optimized routing, expanded collection coverage, and the introduction of transfer stations to reduce travel distances, alleviate congestion, and improve overall efficiency. Policy implications include strengthening LAWMA’s oversight of PSP operations, incentivizing higher fleet utilization, and integrating informal waste collectors to capture unserved waste streams. The insights from this Lagos case study offer a data-driven foundation for planning more sustainable urban waste management systems in developing megacities.