Environment
Lagos Landfill Can Generate 25 Megawatts – Environmentalist
An environmentalist, Mr Idowu Salawu, has called for establishment of a solar farm at the Olusosun Dumpsite in Lagos recently closed by the state government.
Salau, Chief Executive Officer, Macpresse West Africa Ltd., made the call during a visit to the Lagos Office of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Salawu said that the proposal by the state government to convert the dumpsite to a recreation centre was below the economic potential of the landfill.
“”Olusosun is a treasure to Lagos; it is located at the heart of Lagos and close to the national grid.
“”It is a good development that the state government has decided to transform the dump site to a recreation centre, but the government should look beyond a park.
“”I advise establishment of a value chain because of its strategically located; the Olusosun Dumpsite can generate 25 megawatts of electricity,” he said.
The expert said that the landfill could accommodate the solar farm, an energy-generating facility and a recreation park for economic viability.
“”Scientific reports state that you can generate one megawatt of electricity from one million metric tonnes of landfill waste.
“”Olusosun has been in existence since 1992; from estimates, it has received not less than 25 to 30 million metric tonnes of landfill waste that can produce 25 megawatts of electricity.
“”It can also produce 325,000 cubic feet of gas, enough to power from 800kw to 1,000kw of electricity turbine plant.
“”The state government can incorporate the solar farm, energy-generating facility and recreation park at the Olusosun site,” he said.
Salawu called for caution in the current capping of the landfill to avert disaster.
He called for a scientific approach to the capping.
“”Landfill fires are very delicate; one method cannot be used to turn off the fire.
“It takes a multifaceted approach. We have the surface and the sub-surface landfill fire.
“”I hope that the capping of the landfill is done appropriately so that it does not result in sub-surface fire.
“”I advise that a post-closure study plan of the dump site be carried out before capping the landfill with laterite.”
“The expert added that there should also be a gas mapping study to locate the various kinds of gases beneath the surface.
“”The capping should be done scientifically to get the best of it, in terms of economic viability,” he said.
President, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Mrs Margaret Oguntala, has inaugurated the construction of 18 units residential terrace in highbrow Alausa area of Lagos toward bridging the nation’s shelter gap.
Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation has launched the 1GOV Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) to enhance digital governance and improve service delivery.
The launch, held on Thursday in Abuja, marks the ministry’s transition from paper-based operations to a smart, integrated and technology-driven work environment.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, said the deployment aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
Utsev said the system would improve data management, streamline workflows and strengthen transparency and accountability across the ministry.
According to him, the ECMS will enhance productivity, preserve institutional memory and reduce operational costs in the ministry.
Launching the platform, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, said the initiative is a major step in public sector reform.
She said the ministry’s mandate affects Nigerians through water supply, sanitation, irrigation, river basin development and climate resilience programmes.
Walson-Jack said the 1GOV ECMS enables secure digital records management, automated workflows, electronic approvals and real-time collaboration across MDAs.
She added that the deployment aligns with the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 and the directive for full digitalisation by December 2025.
“Effective governance cannot afford delays caused by manual bottlenecks or avoidable inefficiencies,” she said.
She directed that all official correspondence in the ministry must henceforth be processed through approved digital registry channels.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Emanso Umobong, said the system would eliminate workflow inefficiencies and improve service delivery.
She urged staff to fully adopt the platform and engage in continuous capacity building.
Research shows that local communities and citizens living at the grassroots, particularly women, are directly impacted by the environmental degradation, flooding and others that result from these manifestations.
In the light of this, non-governmental organisation, Ese Usamali Foundation For Rural Development (EUFORDe), has held a forum for women and other members of oil impacted communities, tagged: ‘Voices from the Grassroots,’ and aimed at building their resilience and mitigation efforts against climate change and environmental degradation
The forum, with the theme: ‘Building Resilience for Oil Spill Impacted Ahoada Communities,’ organised with support from Global Green Grants, was held in Ahoada Community, Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State, on December 5, 2025.
Executive Director of Ese Usamali Foundation For Rural Development, Mercy Elemchukwu-James, said women are at the forefront of efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change and environmental degradation.
The event, therefore, was “designed for community women impacted by oil spills, flooding and other environmental degradation,” she said.
Community women were enlightened by resource persons on new opportunities for sustainable agricultural practices and water management techniques that cushion the impact of oil spills.
Lectures were also delivered on Self-care and Trauma-care, with focus on physical and mental health of the population, and increasing access to health-related resources and services; as well as on Food security and women’s critical role in decision making in oil spill and flood situations in communities
Elemchukwu-James pointed out that the event created a forum for stakeholders, civil society actors and others to dialogue on measures at advancing inclusive and sustainable livelihoods of community women.
She stressed the need for collaborative efforts towards achieving mitigation efforts, while underscoring EUFORDe’s commitment to “fostering partnerships as a critical driver for achieving a healthy community and sustainable development.”
Elemchukwu-James described participants’ design of ‘Community Resilience Plan,’ to manage and combat environmental degradation and crises, as part of achievements recorded at the event.
The forum also witnessed the launching of EUFORDs’ Center For Resilience and Rights.
“This center is established to build resilience as Trauma-Care for victims of environmental degradation, support for survivors of Gender Based Violence (GBV) and a platform where victims of environmental injustice and other GBV cases can seek redress,” Elemchukwu-James said.
Participants celebrated the milestones achieved and charted a path toward greater impact in the coming years. They also described the event as “an inspiring and transformative experience.”
Elemchukwu-James said the awareness creation workshop “reaffirms EUFORDe’s mission to create an equitable society in which the rights and capacities of women, youth, children and underprivileged are integrated in the socio-economic planning and development of communities, for the attainment of equity and peace.