AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
What AI agents can do in bookkeeping, close, collections and compliance today, where a person must stay in charge, and how to judge a product.
The short answer
There is no single LAWMA waste bill for every Lagos home: LAWMA has said bills follow four area categories (premium, high, medium and low income), and some areas are subsidised. As one reported example, residents of a street in Isolo told The Guardian in 2023 that they paid ₦700 a month for a self-contained room, ₦1,000 for a one-bedroom and ₦1,500 for a two-bedroom. Pay through the routes on lawma.gov.ng, LAWMA Pay or Paycube, using the reference on your bill.
Who bills you and why
Household refuse in Lagos is collected by Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators, private firms that work under the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA). The bill pays for the operator's trucks, fuel and crews. A 2017 directive reported by THEWILL said payments would go in full to PSP operators, where LAWMA had earlier kept 40%. LAWMA still regulates the system, publishes the operator directory and map, and runs the official payment routes.
The waste bill is separate from the Land Use Charge. If you are unsure which is which, see our guide to Land Use Charge versus the waste bill.
How much is the bill
LAWMA does not publish a household price list that we could open. Its Executive Director of Finance, Kunle Adebiyi, told The Guardian in August 2023 that "there is no uniform tariff across all areas". Bills follow four socio-economic categories, and some areas receive free collection under a government subsidy. The reported figures below come from residents, not from a LAWMA schedule, and are as at August 2023:
| Unit type | Reported monthly bill | Where and when |
|---|---|---|
| Self-contained room | ₦700 | Aregbe Street, Isolo, Aug 2023 (The Guardian) |
| One-bedroom flat | ₦1,000 | Aregbe Street, Isolo, Aug 2023 (The Guardian) |
| Two-bedroom flat | ₦1,500 | Aregbe Street, Isolo, Aug 2023 (The Guardian) |
| Whole building | About ₦9,000 to ₦10,000 | Same street, all units together |
These are a guide to scale, not your bill. A year before, in August 2022, LAWMA proposed a 50% increase across the board because of diesel costs, according to Peoples Gazette, and bills have been reviewed since. A home in a premium area will be billed more than the same flat in a low-income area. The only reliable figure is the one on the bill for your property.
How to pay
LAWMA's website lists two routes under Make Payment:
- LAWMA Pay at lawmapay.com.
- Paycube at mypaycube.com/vendor/lawma.
- Find the customer or account reference on your bill or demand notice.
- Open the official payment page from lawma.gov.ng rather than from a link in a message.
- Enter the reference and check that the name and address shown match your property before you pay.
- Pay, then save or print the receipt. Any charge for using the payment route is shown on the payment page; we could not confirm one.
- If you live in a multi-flat building where the landlord or caretaker collects the bill, ask for a copy of the receipt for the building.
If the PSP does not collect
Report it. Call the operator, then LAWMA on its hotline, 080-000-LAWMA (080-000-52962), or +234 708 060 1020, or email info@lawma.gov.ng with your address, the missed dates and photos. Our full guide explains how to complain when your PSP is not collecting. Keep paying while you complain: unpaid bills give the operator a reason to skip your building, and LAWMA has said households must have their own bins, with prosecution threatened for those without one (Peoples Gazette, 2022).
A worked household example
Example only, using the 2023 Isolo figures. A building has four self-contained rooms, two one-bedroom flats and two two-bedroom flats. The monthly total is (4 × ₦700) + (2 × ₦1,000) + (2 × ₦1,500) = ₦2,800 + ₦2,000 + ₦3,000 = ₦7,800. Over a year that is ₦93,600. If the bill were reviewed up by 50%, as LAWMA proposed in 2022, the monthly total would become ₦11,700 and the yearly total ₦140,400. Splitting the bill by unit type, as in this example, is fairer than an equal split when flats differ in size.
For setting a monthly utilities figure, see our household utility budget guide.
Bins, moving house and checking your bill
Three practical points catch many households out:
- Bins. In 2022 LAWMA told households to get their own approved waste bins, said a compound of several houses should not share a single bin, and warned that households without one could be prosecuted (Peoples Gazette). Residents interviewed by The Guardian in 2023 complained that the bins cost more than similar bins in the market, so ask your operator which bin is accepted before you buy.
- Moving in or out. Ask the landlord or previous tenant for the last waste receipt before you move in, and pay up to your last month before you move out. Our guide to settling the meter, water and waste bills when moving flat has a checklist.
- Checking a bill. Make sure the bill names the right property and operator, and that the number of units matches the building. If a bill seems too high for your area, ask LAWMA which billing category your street has been placed in.
Where Pryme fits
The waste bill is not one of the bills paid in the Pryme app, which covers airtime, data, electricity and cable TV. Your Personal Assistant can set a reminder for the date your bill is due and prepare a transfer with Send to an official account on your bill; nothing moves until you approve it.
Questions people ask
How much is LAWMA bill per month?
There is no single amount. LAWMA bills by area category, and some areas are subsidised. As a reported example, Isolo residents told The Guardian in August 2023 they paid ₦700 for a self-contained room, ₦1,000 for a one-bedroom and ₦1,500 for a two-bedroom. Check your own bill.
How can I pay my LAWMA bill online?
Use LAWMA Pay (lawmapay.com) or Paycube (mypaycube.com/vendor/lawma), both listed on lawma.gov.ng, with the reference on your bill. Keep the receipt.
Who pays the LAWMA bill, landlord or tenant?
It depends on your tenancy agreement. Often the landlord or caretaker collects from each flat and pays for the building. Agree it in writing and ask for a receipt.
Is LAWMA bill the same as Land Use Charge?
No. The waste bill pays for refuse collection by your PSP operator; the Land Use Charge is a separate state property charge.
Sources
- Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) official website · accessed Oct 2026
- Lagos residents lament high waste tariffs, patronise 'cart pushers' (The Guardian Nigeria, 18 Aug 2023) · accessed Oct 2026
- Lagos to increase waste disposal bill by 50% (Peoples Gazette, 10 Aug 2022) · accessed Oct 2026
- LAWMA to stop collecting waste bills (THEWILL, 27 Jan 2017) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.