The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has taken a significant step towards sustainable waste management and environmental innovation through its newly launched “Lunch & Learn” Lecture Series. The debut session, themed “Catalyzing Innovation through Collaboration: Unleashing the Power of the Triple Helix of Government, Industry, and Academia,” spotlighted the potential of biogas solutions in addressing pressing global environmental challenges such as air pollution, climate change, and water contamination.
Welcoming participants, the Managing Director/CEO of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, emphasized the agency’s commitment to continuous learning and scientific engagement, stating, “LAWMA is not just a logistics operation—it is a scientific organization. This series creates a much-needed informal platform to stimulate dialogue, enhance research, and build internal capacity.”
The keynote address was delivered by Prof. Mats Eklund, world-renowned sustainability expert and scientific leader of the Biogas Research Center at Linköping University, Sweden. Prof. Eklund shared case studies highlighting biogas as a transformative tool in sustainable waste management and emphasized the importance of shifting public perception: “Waste should no longer be seen as a hazard, but as an opportunity,” he remarked.
The event also featured remarks from Mr. Tajudeen Omobolaji Gaji, Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment, who reiterated the Ministry’s support for innovation and cross-sector collaboration. Mr. Kunle Adebiyi, LAWMA’s Executive Director of Finance, outlined plans to leverage technological innovations such as biogas to align with global waste management standards.
An interactive Q&A session allowed stakeholders—from policymakers to researchers—to exchange insights, reinforcing the significance of the Triple Helix model in driving sustainable impact.
In attendance were key dignitaries including Engineer Adebola Sabi, Chairman of the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Environment Parastatals; Mr. Adedoyin Lasisi, top academics from the University of Lagos, researchers, and executives from Zoomlion Nigeria and the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources.
This inaugural “Lunch & Learn” Series underlines LAWMA’s role as a thought leader in environmental sustainability and marks the beginning of a long-term initiative to foster innovation, strengthen institutional knowledge, and build strategic partnerships within Nigeria’s evolving waste management ecosystem.
