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Lagos Instructs PSP Operators to Enhance Service Delivery.
Lagos instructs PSP operators to enhance service delivery.
The Lagos State government has encouraged PSP waste management operators to improve their service delivery and transparency through partnerships with the private sector.
NewsReport stated that the 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 digitized to make them more transparent and profitable.
He added that the association should put in place proper data collection 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 percent within five years.
He said: “Being aware that PSP operators are in business to make profit and sustain employment, cash collection must be digitized for transparency. If, for example, you tell me that you have control of 45 percent of this business, tell me what 100 percent of the business is. These are some of the logical questions that demand answers.
“When you had a surplus, did you increase the stake in the government? As such, I reject the appeal to reduce the 25% remit to the 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 digitization of 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 cost is not sustainable in 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 always provide accurate locations, including the number 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 urbanization and population growth, which result 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 digitization 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 who is paying and who is not.
Responding, the 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.
