Lagos Partners Visionscape on Cleaner Lagos Initiative

Fadekemi Ajakaiye

Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI) was established by the Lagos State Government to address, enforce and regulate the challenges in the solid waste management systems within Lagos State.
The initiative is focused on improving the environment to make it cleaner, safer and healthier for all Lagos State residents, while also improving operational efficiency in waste management.
Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode reiterated the commitment of his administration to provide the State with a functional, robust and sustainable waste management system that would transform the State into the cleanest city in the world.

Governor Ambode said his dream had always been to positively affect the State as far as waste management is concerned, and that his commitment to follow it through remains unwavering.
The governor’s vision statement was presented, last week, at the Phase One Implementation Launch of Visionscape Sanitation Solutions Limited, an environmental utility group appointed as partner by the State Government to implement the new environmental policy encapsulated in the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI).

Visionscape is currently in a public-private partnership with the Lagos State Government, to provide waste management services for the CLI, under the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA).
Visionscape Sanitation Solutions has successfully completed the development of their first waste management depot in Ogudu, Lagos State.

The Governor, who was represented by the State’s Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Samuel Adejare, said the soft launch of the new waste management policy was a dream come true, and a demonstrable evidence of what determination and proper planning could bring into fruition.
“Coming here and seeing these fantastically looking vans and trucks of Visionscape that would be used for waste management in the State is inspiring and encouraging. This is just a small bit of what we intend to launch through the CLI in days to come”, he said.

He said “I am one of the happiest persons in the world today because a lot of people thought that this would not be achieved. Our belief in Visionscape led to the choice of the consortium and here the launching of the first phase”.

He stated their satisfaction with the giant strides Visionscape is taking in ensure that the aim is achieved and admonish the staff of the firm to keep up with the aim. The aim of Lagos State and VisionScape is to be the cleanest city in the world by the grace of God, he said.

The depot commissioned recently, marks the first of three 24-hour depot centres,that Visionscape will open in Lagos State. The other two depots will be located in Mushin and Lagos Island.
Visionscape depots will oversee and provide maintenance services for the company’s multidimensional fleet. The waste management vehicles include walking-floor trailers, compactors, tippers, skips, tricycles, in addition to operational vehicles, which will all be embedded with innovative radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology.

The Visionscape depot facilities will include on-demand maintenance and servicing bays, truck wash stations, fuelling stations, hostels, canteens, health centres, parking and other features. The depots have been built and designed to maximize efficiency and to meet the solid waste management needs for Lagos State.
Mr. John Irvine, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Visionscape West Africa, stated that the opening of the new Ogudu depot will be an enormous benefit to the people of Lagos.

He said the depot is the result of extensive collaboration between Visionscape technical & planning teams and LAWMA.
It fully incorporates key safety features including maintenance workshops that will offer 24-hour fleet maintenance service for the waste management vehicles which will serve all areas within the State. The depots will also be used for specialist training which each driver must undergo in order to drive any vehicles in the fleet, he said.

He said the second phase of the plan will be the door to door collection service which is expected to commence in the 4th quarter of 2017.
Mr. Harry Ackerman, the Executive Director, Visionscape said the company was delighted to be part of the journey to make Lagos a clean State.

He assured that modern techniques and technologies in waste management would be deployed to provide top class services for the people.
“Our top priority is to ensure that the waste management needs of Lagos are met and we will do this by implementing sustainable long-term solutions that are tailor-made for Lagos specifically,” he said.
He stated that sound business models, processes and technologies which are a central component of our integrated waste management plan have been developed.

“We are refurbishing, building and upgrading waste management facilities located in different parts of the State, which includes, engineered sanitary landfills, transfer loading stations, material recovering facilities and multiple maintenance centres,” he said.