Suliyat Yetunde Oguns, who pioneered LAWMA CARES and convened Waste Academy 1.0, laid to rest in Ofada, Ogun State
Babajide Fadoju
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, has expressed deep sadness over the sudden passing of Suliyat Yetunde Oguns, his Technical Assistant and a valued member of the LAWMA family. Oguns died on Sunday, 20 September 2026, and was laid to rest on Monday, 21 September 2026 at the Lagos Mainland Muslim Community Burial Ground, Ofada, Ogun State.
In a heartfelt tribute, Dr. Gbadegesin described Oguns as a rising star whose death had left the Authority shocked and struggling to comprehend the loss of someone with so much life and promise ahead of her. He noted that he saw in her a future leader, and that her work had already given the Authority good reason to believe in that future.
A graduate of LAWMA Academy, Oguns went on to convene the Waste Academy 1.0 programme in 2023, creating opportunities for young people to learn practical skills in waste management, recycling, and upcycling. Dr. Gbadegesin described her progression as especially encouraging, noting that she took what she had learned and made it useful to others.
Oguns served as Senior Special Assistant on Environmental Health at Bariga LCDA and represented Somolu Constituency II in the Lagos State Youth Parliament. In 2024, she helped coordinate volunteers for the World Cleanup Day exercise in Ekinmogun, bringing people together to clear waste, clean drains, and engage residents on caring for their environment. At LAWMA, she pioneered LAWMA CARES, an initiative designed to mobilise young people for environmental sustainability.
Dr. Gbadegesin emphasised that Oguns’s work reflected a conviction he shares: that young people must have a meaningful role in improving their communities, with the opportunity and support to turn their ideas into action. He noted that she was still undertaking her National Youth Service Corps programme at the time of her passing, adding that even at this early stage of her life, she had already contributed so much.
The LAWMA MD extended his heartfelt condolences to Oguns’s family and loved ones, personally and on behalf of the management and staff of the Authority. He prayed that Almighty Allah would forgive her shortcomings, accept her good deeds, grant her Al-Jannatul Firdaus, and give her family, friends, and colleagues strength and comfort.