Lagos Trains 130 professionals on sewage treatment plant management

By Adebola Muili

The Lagos State Government has trained over 130 facility managers and other professionals on the effective operation and maintenance of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) as part of efforts to strengthen wastewater management and protect public health.

The two-day capacity-building workshop was organised by the Lagos State Wastewater Management Office (LSWMO), in collaboration with the Nigerian Institution of Environmental Engineers (NIEE), to equip participants with the technical knowledge and practical skills required for efficient and sustainable wastewater treatment.

According to a statement made available to journalists on Wednesday, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, said the increasing volume of wastewater generated from residential, commercial, institutional and industrial activities had made effective wastewater management an urgent environmental priority.

Wahab, who was represented at the workshop by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment, Engr. Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, warned that inadequately treated wastewater and indiscriminate discharge could contaminate water bodies and the environment, with serious consequences for public health and community wellbeing.

He stressed that Sewage Treatment Plants were critical environmental infrastructure requiring competent personnel, regular maintenance, effective process monitoring, laboratory analysis and proper documentation to function optimally.

The Commissioner said the state’s approach to wastewater management must go beyond infrastructure development to include strong regulation, professional capacity building and sustainable practices such as water reuse, recycling, resource recovery and energy efficiency.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services and Water Resources, Engr. Adegbite Mahamood, said investments in wastewater treatment infrastructure must be matched by sustained investment in the human resources responsible for operating and maintaining the facilities.

Mahamood noted that the construction of a Sewage Treatment Plant alone did not guarantee effective wastewater treatment, stressing that facilities must be properly operated, routinely maintained, closely monitored and supported by regular testing of effluent quality.

He urged facility managers and other participants to apply the knowledge acquired during the training to strengthen preventive maintenance, improve operational efficiency and ensure that their facilities consistently met required environmental standards.

Earlier, the General Manager, LSWMO, Engr. Adefemi Afolabi, said the training was designed to ensure that Sewage Treatment Plants across Lagos State operated effectively and delivered the environmental protection outcomes for which they were established.

Afolabi said the programme focused on the practical realities of STP management, including treatment processes, operation and maintenance, laboratory analysis, effluent parameters, wastewater microbiology, process optimisation and practical breakout sessions.

He noted that bringing together facility managers, engineers, environmental consultants, HSE professionals, laboratory personnel and other practitioners would promote knowledge sharing and strengthen collaboration in addressing operational challenges in the wastewater sector.

In his remarks, the National Chairman of the Nigerian Institution of Environmental Engineers, Engr. Caius Ikem Umekesiobi, represented by the Immediate Past National Chairman, Engr. (Dr.) Nureni Adegboyega Ogunyemi, said some Sewage Treatment Plants across the country continued to underperform due to gaps in technical capacity, operation, maintenance and management.

He called for sustained investment in professional development and effective operation and maintenance models, urging participants to translate the knowledge acquired into improved STP performance, environmental compliance and safer wastewater management across Lagos State.