FEATURE: LAWMA’s dormant digital payment platform for waste collection frustrates Lagos residents

Despite Nigeria’s push for digital financial transactions and the advancement of digital payment solutions in various sectors, waste management is left behind especially in states like Lagos. Residents of the country’s commercial city face an additional burden of exclusive cash payments for waste collection. OLUWATOBI ODEYINKA writes on how this situation frustrates residents who struggle with accessibility and convenience, in a city plagued by excess environmental pollution.

George, a resident of Ketu in Lagos, prefers to use unlicensed cart-pushing waste collectors who dispose of his garbage for a fee, which he pays for in cash. He prefers that to services provided by the state government.

When asked why he does not patronise the Private Sector Partnership (PSP) operators approved by the Lagos State Waste Management Agency (LAWMA), George said he stopped waiting for LAWMA because “on one hand you have to go to their office to pay, on the other hand, you have to wait for weeks for them to come get the refuse.”

The state government has a digital payment platform where residents are supposed to pay for the service of the PSP operator operating in their area via “lawmapay.com”, but the platform has been dormant for months.

None of the PSP operators has its individual digital payment platform, while only a few of them allow customers to make electronic transfer of the fee. “But you still have to go to their office to validate the payment and get a slip (like a receipt) confirming that you have paid,” Mr Olufemi who resides in the Orile-Agege area said. He disclosed that the PSP operator in charge of Waste Collection in his area is ‘Advanced Waste Projects’

In the absence of an effective payment platform Mr Olufemi, and Mr Suleiman who resides in the Agege area of the state choose to patronize cart pushers.

“I’m busy! Who has time to go to the LAWMA office to pay and wait for days when the waste bin is filled,” Suleiman asked.

LAWMA is tasked with ensuring proper waste management and sanitation across the state. But poor and efficient digital payment systems coupled with delays in waste collection by its PSP partners, residents are finding alternatives.

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“We have to wait for LAWMA for days, even after taking the pain to go to their office to pay,” Eniola who lives in the Oshodi area of Lagos said, blaming the agency for the overfilled bin in front of her house.

Over filled refuse bin of a Lagos resident

The screenshot below shows an X post in which a resident lamented to the Lagos State Commissioner for Environment, Tokunbo Wahab about his inability to pay his waste bill online.

The Commissioner ignored the post, and the payment platform has not been fixed since then.

Ripples Nigeria contacted the Public Affairs Director of the Lagos State Ministry of Environment, Mr Kunle Adesina to enquire about the nonfunctional status of the online payment option for LAWMA, but he directed this reporter to the Public Relations Officer of LAWMA, Ms Sade Kadiri. “LAWMA is in the best position to answer your question,” Adesina said over the phone.

However, Ms Kadiri did not respond to calls and messages sent to her.

LAWMA Should Adopt Electricity Bill Payment Approach —Environmentalist

The President of the Africa Environmental Health Organisation, Afolabi Abiodun, advised the state government and the management of LAWMA to consider digitising waste management in the state, specifically adopting an approach similar to electricity billing.

Electricity billing and payment are often done digitally in which bills are sent and settled electronically.

Mr Abiodun who advocated for what he termed ‘smart waste management’, urged LAWMA to consider learning from power distribution companies.

“If you have data and accurate information, it is easy to plan on how to collect waste and how to collect revenue from waste. We have an existing model in the power distribution, the same model can be applied to waste collection.

“Nowadays, you don’t go to the NEPA (referring to power distribution companies) office again, you can pay your electricity bill from anywhere. Waste issues can be treated the same way,” he said.

He also noted that LAWMA may consider an approach by mobile money operators who have advanced financial inclusion in Nigeria.

“Like OPAY where they use your phone number to generate your account number. LAWMA can adopt the same approach to generate a street code or house code that Lagosians can use to make payments through their phone or an app. The code will bring out a street name and number. Instead of going to their office to make a payment, you can do that in your bed,” the environmentalist advised.

Meanwhile, Mr. Abiodun said digitising waste management may not be effective without the people’s active participation. “People should be involved and participate because even if they come up with the app or software or code, if the people do not accept it and participate in it, it may not be successful.”

This report is produced under the DPI Africa Journalism Fellowship Programme of the Media Foundation for West Africa and Co-Develop.

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