Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Association of Real Estate Developers of Lagos State has petitioned the Lagos State House of Assembly over what it described as the Lagos Waste Management Authority's misclassification of construction materials as waste, urging the lawmakers to direct the agency to stop imposing levies and penalties on such materials. The petition, dated August 10, 2026, was signed by AREDOLS Chairman, Alhaji Kamil Shodeinde, and General Secretary, Chief Ahmod Olukotun, and was also sent to the Deputy Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, the Chairman and Members of the House Committee on Environment, and the Managing Director of LAWMA.
The association faulted LAWMA for classifying planks, derricks and other construction materials as construction waste, insisting that the items were recyclable materials used in building projects. “We wish to state categorically that these items are recyclable materials used for construction purposes and not waste in the ordinary sense,” the petition read in part. “The misclassification and attendant levies and penalties are imposing an undue financial burden on developers and end users, thereby worsening the cost of housing and construction in Lagos.”
AREDOLS questioned the categorisation of waste into domestic, medical and industrial waste, arguing that each category required distinct handling and management. The developers argued that LAWMA had failed to effectively manage domestic waste across the state and that the agency's focus on penalising construction materials was a distraction from its primary statutory responsibility. “It is no longer news that domestic refuse has defaced major parts of Lagos State. Our communities are overwhelmed with uncollected household waste, while LAWMA appears to have neglected its primary statutory responsibility of ensuring timely and effective evacuation of domestic waste,” the petition stated.
The developers also called on the House of Assembly to investigate LAWMA's failure to effectively manage domestic waste and its impact on public health and the environment, direct LAWMA to return to its core mandate of domestic waste evacuation and proper categorisation of waste as defined by law and best practice, call LAWMA to order on the arbitrary classification of construction materials such as planks and derricks as waste, and to desist from policies that increase hardship on citizens, and ensure accountability and improved service delivery by LAWMA in line with the THEMES+ Agenda of the state government.
AREDOLS expressed concern that the agency's classification of construction materials as waste was imposing an undue financial burden on developers and end users, thereby worsening the cost of housing and construction in Lagos. “AREDOLS remains committed to a clean, safe, and orderly Lagos. We believe that urgent legislative intervention will restore sanity to waste management and protect Lagosians from further hardship,” the association stated. The developers urged the House to give the petition urgent attention and also publish it in national newspapers for public awareness and action.
The petition comes amid growing concerns over the rising cost of housing in Lagos State, where developers have repeatedly decried multiple taxes, levies and charges that have made housing increasingly unaffordable for the average resident. The Nigerian housing deficit is estimated at over 28 million units, and the cost of construction has continued to rise due to a combination of factors, including the high cost of building materials, multiple taxation and the proliferation of illegal levies imposed by various government agencies and private individuals. The AREDOLS petition highlights the role of waste management levies in the overall cost burden, with developers arguing that the classification of recyclable construction materials as waste was an arbitrary and counterproductive policy that added to the financial strain on both developers and home buyers.
The Lagos State Government has not yet officially responded to the petition. However, the state government has previously taken steps to harmonise fees and charges through the Lagos Revenue Portal as part of efforts to improve transparency and encourage private investment in affordable housing. The state government has also expressed commitment to addressing the challenges facing the housing sector, including the need to reduce the cost of construction and streamline the approval process for building projects.
As the Lagos State House of Assembly considers the petition, the outcome could have significant implications for the cost of housing and the overall business environment in the state. The developers have made it clear that they are not opposed to paying legitimate levies but that they will not accept the misclassification of construction materials as waste, a practice they argue is not only arbitrary but also economically damaging. The ball is now in the court of the Lagos State House of Assembly to determine whether LAWMA's classification of construction materials as waste will be reviewed or whether the agency will be allowed to continue imposing levies and penalties on materials that developers insist are not waste but essential tools of their trade.
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