Published by Osasere Edomwonyi Ikpoba
The Oyo State Government has launched a sweeping enforcement of its house-to-house waste collection policy, warning residents and business owners that premises without proper waste disposal arrangements risk immediate closure. The enforcement exercise, which began on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, has seen environmental officers from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources fan out across the state to inspect residential buildings, commercial premises, and other facilities. The government has given defaulters a strict 48-hour grace period to comply or face the sealing of their properties.
Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Hon. Ademola Aderinto, who flagged off the exercise on Wednesday, described the enforcement as a necessary measure to address the environmental, aesthetic, economic, and public health consequences of improper waste disposal. According to Aderinto, the inspections are designed to verify that occupants have appropriate waste bins and are registered with approved and designated waste consultants assigned to their locations. He stressed that the government would continue the enforcement across the state until the required level of compliance is achieved.
The directive, which was first announced in August 2026, gave residents and property owners one month to provide waste bins for all residential and commercial buildings across the state. Aderinto had said every household, residential building, business premises, shopping complex, and plaza must provide designated waste bins, with the size of the bins commensurate with the size of the building, the number of occupants, and the volume of waste generated. He also warned that residents and business owners must patronise only government-accredited Private Sector Participants responsible for waste collection and evacuation, and that anyone found engaging unapproved waste contractors or disposing of waste through unauthorised means would face legal action.
The commissioner further revealed that enforcement teams would verify evidence of payment of waste evacuation fees during inspections, and that residents and businesses were expected to remain up to date with their monthly waste disposal payments as part of the requirements for compliance. He urged residents to report any accredited waste collector who fails to evacuate waste as required to the Ministry or the Oyo State Solid Waste Management Authority (OYOWMA), assuring that such consultants would face appropriate sanctions, including possible revocation of their operating licences. He also advised residents experiencing challenges with waste collection services or those uncertain about accredited PSP operators to report to OYOWMA or the department of environmental health services for guidance.
The enforcement comes amid growing concerns over poor sanitation practices across the state, particularly in Ibadan, the state capital, where overflowing refuse dumps and indiscriminate waste disposal have continued to plague several parts of the metropolis. The government had previously declared a state of emergency on inappropriate waste disposal in markets and public places, and has sealed numerous residential and commercial complexes for engaging illegal waste collectors and failing to comply with environmental regulations. The latest enforcement represents a significant escalation of the state's efforts to restore environmental sanitation and ensure compliance with waste management regulations.
Aderinto has assured residents that the government remains committed to ensuring proper waste management and a cleaner environment across the state, and has urged residents to cooperate with the government by obtaining appropriate waste bins and engaging only approved waste consultants designated to their areas. The enforcement exercise is expected to cover residential buildings, commercial premises, and other establishments as the government steps up efforts to improve waste collection and disposal across the state. For residents and business owners in Oyo State, the message is clear: comply with the waste management regulations within 48 hours, or risk seeing your premises shut down.
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