BY VICTOR OJELABI
On March 17, 2025, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Barr. Tokunbo Wahab, in his usual effort to keep Lagosians informed about the ministry’s activities, shared a video of an environmental terrorist caught in the act by the task force attached to the ministry.
From her conversation with the task force officer, the offender, identified as Nwankwo Patience, confessed that she regularly transported her household waste to her school —possibly as a teacher— to dump it indiscriminately. Unfortunately for her, she was caught this time.
Shockingly, Patience resides in a three-story building where not a single bin exists for all occupants to dispose of their waste properly.
The consequences of this negligence are severe, contributing to environmental hazards such as flooding and pollution. However, that is not the focus here.
Her case is just one of many that complicate the Lagos State government’s battle against erosion, flooding, and sanitation challenges.
The March 13, 2025, incident points out a critical reality: environmental protection is not solely the responsibility of the government but requires deliberate efforts from citizens.
Lagosians must reject environmental terrorism and resist the temptation to participate in it.
An insider at Alausa confirmed that the objective of sharing such videos is to sensitize Lagos residents about the dangers of indiscriminate waste disposal, including both health and environmental risks.
Any well-meaning Lagosian would commend the commissioner’s commitment to ridding the state of floods and contamination.
However, rather than supporting this effort, some disgruntled politicians seek to exploit every incident for political gain.
Enter Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, an emergency Lagos patriot who rode on a 2020 political ruse to gain relevance in the state’s political space. True to his pattern, he seized on this incident to push his narrative.
Gbadebo, known for spreading misinformation and stoking disaffection among Lagosians, responded to Wahab’s post by twisting the entire incident into a tribal issue. He accused the commissioner of bigotry and claimed that Lagos “deserves excellence, not excuses.”
He then proceeded to showcase some solutions to the state’s environmental challenges while reinforcing his claim that “Lagos stinks.”
To many Lagosians, Gbadebo is just another social media content creator. True to its characteristic approach to genuine concerns, the Ministry of Environment responded by outlining the state’s ongoing efforts.
According to the government, tackling waste and sanitation in a rapidly growing megacity like Lagos requires structured solutions—not soundbites or political propaganda.
Rather than ‘smelling’, Lagos is evolving—toward sustainable waste management, modernized landfill systems, cleaner waterways, and structured sanitation policies.
So beyond the noise of political opportunists and agenda-driven actors on social media, what is the Lagos government really doing?
Lagos generates over 13,000 tonnes of waste daily, requiring an advanced waste management strategy.
The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has intensified waste collection across all 377 wards, recalibrated routes for efficiency, and deployed 150 waste trucks with over 200 public waste bins.
To serve hard-to-reach areas, LAWMA has introduced tricycle compactors on a pay-as-you-go model, with 500 more units planned for later in 2025.
In line with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s THEMES+ agenda, Lagos will close Olusosun and Solous 3 landfills within 18 months, transitioning them into modern Transfer Loading Stations (TLS) for waste sorting and recycling.
A major step in sustainability is the Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plant in Epe, set to process 2,500 tonnes of waste daily and generate 60–80 megawatts of electricity.
This initiative aligns with the state’s commitment at COP28 to reduce methane emissions.
The Ikosi-Ketu Biogas Plant upgrade, launching in May 2025, will power market cold rooms using organic waste.
Lagos is also promoting a circular economy by banning styrofoam and phasing out single-use plastics.
Strategic partnerships with firms like Jospong Group, Harvest Waste, and Lafarge Geocycle are advancing waste recycling, electronic waste processing, and plastic-to-oil conversion.
Waterways pollution is being tackled through LAWMA Marine Waste Operations, which involves dredging, debris collection, and the installation of river booms.
Industrial effluent discharge has dropped by 25%, thanks to LASEPA’s enforcement of wastewater regulations.
To curb open defecation, Lagos is constructing 150 new public toilets in 2025, with an additional 250 under public-private partnerships. More than 1,710 public toilets are already in place across the state.
The introduction of solar-powered and self-cleaning toilets further enhances public sanitation.
Lagos is investing in climate resilience through urban greening, tree planting, and air quality monitoring.
Over 50 air quality monitors track pollution, and initiatives like converting fish processing kilns from firewood to gas are improving air standards.
The “Trees for Lagos” campaign aims to plant 50,000 trees in two years to enhance environmental sustainability.
These efforts position Lagos as a leader in sustainable waste management, environmental protection, and climate resilience in Africa.
For Gbadebo and his co-travelers, they need to take a breather and give true lovers of Lagos a break; the state is in good hands.
