Fashola unveils Agege transfer loading station

On the 26th of November 2014, the Lagos state Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN commissioned the third Transfer Loading Station in Lagos state, the Agege Waste Transfer Loading station. The newly built transfer loading station is located at Oba Ogunji Road , Agege, Pen-Cinema, Lagos.


Transfer Loading Stations (TLS) are centralized facilities where waste is unloaded from smaller collection vehicles and re-loaded into larger vehicles for transport to a disposal or processing site. The transportation of garbage from the transfer loading stations is done generally using large Trailers. Basically, TLS is a processing site for temporary deposition of waste and it serve as middleman between collection vehicles and final treatment or disposal facility.

Agege TLS

The first transfer loading station was commissioned at Simpson street in Lagos Island, and its simply about solid waste. Unlike the first transfer loading station, the second transfer loading station (Oshodi Transfer loading station) and the third (Agege transfer loading station) help to do more as they have been embedded with a medical waste treatment facilities to provide hospitals and clinics closed by with efficient depository for treatment and disposal of medical waste in a safe and healthy manner, said Mr. Fashola.

Last year, the acting managing director of Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Mrs Abimbola Jijho-Ogun disclosed plans to construct 20 Transfer Loading Station to serve 20 Local Government and 37 Local Council Development Area across the state during the second “Waste to Food” initiative programme held at Agege Stadium, Lagos state. “Waste to Food” is an annual event targeted at children during the holiday period that seeks to inculcate the waste sorting and recycling culture them at the early stages of life. It is to integrate children and corporate organizations into recycling initiative.

Mr. Fashola stressed that as the State Government is providing additional loading stations, new developments are also coming up as smart entrepreneurs are keen on taking on the management of the refuse dumps by turning them into recycling plants. Knowing that the world is embracing recycling and that for a country like Nigeria where the emphasis is use of non-biodegradable materials like bottles, plastics, polyethylene, a change of attitude must take place. He stressed that a new recycling plant has already been put in place in Alimosho and that with the way and manner the company is going about the recycling of generated waste in the area, the State may no longer need the projected 20 Transfer loading stations anymore.

Mr. Fashola added that the administration would build about 10 Transfer Loading Stations across the State through recommended strategies employ deal with similar problem in distant locations. This is a promise made to the electorate and believes is party must fulfill as a matter of honour as he has done. He recollected that the idea of waste management formed a major part of his electioneering campaign when residents sought to know how he intends to tackle the issue of waste in the Agege area.

He warns resident to stop patronizing cart pushers as they do more harm than good by collecting refuse from residents and indiscriminately dumping them such refuse in canal and unauthorized locations. This is reasonable because the aftermath of this is that refuse will block drainage channel which in turn leads to flood and also, stagnant water encourages the breeding of mosquitoes resulting in turn in many cases of malaria and dengue fever. Dumps are invaded by waste pickers and animals which scatter the wastes and the wastes serve as breeding grounds for disease vectors, primarily flies and rats. Inspite of any unemployment caused whatsoever, Mr. Fashola reiterated that the State is working on a programme to integrate the cart pushers with compactors and can also participate in the waste sorting exercise.

Traditional rulers, market men and women,residents, captains of industry and other stake holders during the commissioning of the TLS

Fashola said the Agege Transfer Loading Station is a possibility today because some people agreed to let go of their titles on the land for the betterment of the majority. In a message of goodwill, a former title holder of the land on which the Agege Transfer Loading Station has been built, Major Olanrewaju expressed his appreciation to the State Government for providing him with a replacement land at Abijo GRA. However, the State is still confronted with people instituting court cases to stop government from embarking on public projects such as the latest reports of a court injunction asking the State to stop work on the Osborne Jetty which is nearing completion.

According to the Managing Director of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority( LAWMA), Mr Ola Oresanya, with the established benchmarks for development and operation of the Transfer Loading Station (TLS), LAWMA is set to allow the private sectors to participate effectively and creditably in the rapid development of the remaining 17 TLS across the State. Oresanya explained that for the immediate take-off, four sites are ready for development namely Ogombo, Abule- Egba, Ishasi and Owutu in Ikorodu. Also in a goodwill message, the Vice Chairman of the Waste Managers, Mr Taju Ekemode thanked the Governor for creating a scheme that has created employment for civil, mechanical, electrical engineers and artisans of various vocations. He appealed to the State Government to revisit the issue of incinerators so as to reduce the number of vehicles going to the landfill sites.

IMAGE SOURCE: tyballo.blogspot.com