The Association of Real Estate Developers of Lagos State (AREDOLS) has petitioned the Lagos State House of Assembly over what it described as the Lagos State Waste Management Authority’s (LAWMA) misclassification of construction materials as waste.
The developers are asking lawmakers to direct the agency to stop imposing levies and penalties on materials used for building projects.
The petition, dated August 10 and titled “Urgent Petition on LAWMA’s Neglect of Its Primary Responsibility on Domestic Waste Management and Misclassification of Construction Materials as Waste,” was signed by AREDOLS Chairman Kamil Shodeinde and General Secretary Ahmod Olukotun.
The association argued that items such as planks, derricks and other construction materials are recyclable materials used in ongoing building activities and should not be treated as construction waste.
AREDOLS also called on the House of Assembly to investigate what it described as LAWMA’s failure to effectively manage domestic waste across Lagos State.
According to the developers, waste categories such as domestic, medical and industrial waste require different methods of handling and management.
In the petition, the association stated that the classification of reusable construction materials as waste has led to levies and penalties that place an unnecessary financial burden on developers and ultimately increase the cost of housing and construction in Lagos.
The group urged the Assembly to review LAWMA’s classification of construction materials and take steps to address the financial impact of the levies on developers and home buyers.
