This study is presenting an empirical justification for the inclusion of private sector participation in municipal solid waste management. It is derived from a study of waste management in metropolitan Lagos. Primary data were obtained through interviews and ten questionnaires with the various stakeholders and secondary data were collated from the archives of relevant agencies, especially Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) websites, Digital libraries and earlier studies. The study reveals that the private sector which comprises of the highway managers and the private sector participant (PSP) collected more than 70% of the waste volume even in the experimental stage. This is a pointer to the potential of this sector as a strong ally and a more efficient one at that. The LAWMA which is the government agency could only collect less than 30%. It is therefore suggested that the solution to the problem of waste disposal in urban centres of the country is the involvement of the private sector participant with supervising agency formatting policy guidelines on cost recovery, monitoring and public enlightenment.