Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has appointed Dr. Hassan Sanuth as the new Managing Director of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), following reports that the incumbent chief, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, was requested to step down over persistent waste management challenges state-wide.
​The administrative shift gained momentum on Monday, October 19, 2026, when top executive officials convened at the Lagos State House in Ikeja to review the state’s environmental performance indicators.
Discontent within the administration had been brewing over slow operational responses to refuse accumulation across key residential and commercial corridors, leading to the formal confirmation of Dr. Sanuth’s appointment at 9:00 AM on Tuesday, October 20, 2026.
​Prior to his appointment as head of the agency, Dr. Sanuth served as the Director of Sanitation Services within the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources.
A seasoned environmental administrator, he holds professional memberships with the Science Association of Nigeria, the Nigeria Environmental Society, the American Society for Microbiology, and the Nigerian Institute of Management.
​The leadership change follows months of mounting public dissatisfaction over uncollected waste spilling onto major transport arteries and drainage channels across major hubs, including Mushin, Surulere, Egbeda, Ikorodu, Ojota, and Obalende.
Tensions reached a turning point following an unannounced late-afternoon inspection conducted by Governor Sanwo-Olu at the Olusosun Dumpsite in Ojota, where the Governor issued direct mandates regarding dumpsite compaction speed and turnaround times for refuse trucks.
Subsequent compliance reviews revealed that operational output had fallen short of target benchmarks, accelerating the decision to overhaul LAWMA’s top management.
​Speaking on the leadership transition during a press briefing at the Ministry Headquarters in Alausa, Ikeja, the Deputy Director of the Public Affairs Unit, Adekunle Adeshina, stated that the state government remains firmly committed to maintaining a clean, healthy, and resilient environment.
He emphasized that the administrative restructuring at LAWMA forms part of broader efforts to restore rapid-response evacuation routines across all local government areas and safeguard public health.
​Confirming the development, sources within the Lagos State Secretariat noted that the Governor emphasized zero tolerance for operational delays as seasonal rains heighten the risk of blocked drainage channels and urban flooding.
Further strategic details regarding the agency’s revised operational framework are scheduled to be presented by the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in Alausa.
​Dr. Sanuth is slated to officially assume office at LAWMA Headquarters in Ijora, Lagos, where his immediate directives will center on expanding daily intake capacity at major landfill sites and accelerating joint operations with Private Sector Participants (PSP) to clear backlog waste across the metropolis.
