Walk through any part of Lagos these days, from the upscale areas of Ikoyi and Victoria Island to bustling streets of Oshodi, Agege, or Alimosho, and the picture is the same. Heaps of refuse pile up on road medians, pavements, street corners, and even in front of homes.
Plastic bags, food waste, rotting vegetables, and all sorts, sit under the sun and rain, leaking into drains and spreading a foul stench that clings to the air.
Residents are posting videos and pictures daily, tagging the Commissioner of Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), and asking one simple question: Why has Lagos, Nigeria’s biggest city, become a giant dumpsite?
As heavy rains continue, the worry has moved beyond dirty streets and bad smells. Public health experts and residents fear Lagos is teetering on the brink of a major cholera outbreak or increased cases of Lassa fever and other infections.
The piles of waste create perfect breeding grounds for disease vectors in a city already battling poor sanitation infrastructure.
A Problem Decades in the Making
Lagos has wrestled with waste management for years. During Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration, there were attempts at improvement, but with the dissolution of local PSP operators and partnership with VisionScape, the system collapsed, unable to recover till date.
Under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the problem has intensified as the city’s population has surged past 22 million, generating an estimated 13,000 tonnes of waste daily.
LAWMA and Private Sector Participants (PSP) operators are tasked with collection, but many residents report trucks arriving irregularly, sometimes weeks apart, leaving frustrated residents to dump waste on roadsides.
PSP operators, on their part, cite high diesel costs, poor access roads to dumpsites, broken-down trucks, and low payment compliance from residents. The system is strained, and waste accumulates faster than it can be removed.
Closed or overwhelmed landfills have compounded the crisis. Major sites like Olusosun face capacity issues and decommissioning pressures, and there are simply not enough functional compactors and trucks to handle the volume, especially when rains turn routes into quagmires.
Critics also point to over-centralisation: the state government controls most waste management instead of empowering local governments, which are closer to communities and could respond more effectively to local needs.
Sanitation Exercises and Persistent Heaps
In response, the government reintroduced the monthly environmental sanitation exercise. On the last Saturday of each month, between 6:30 and 8:30 a.m., residents are expected to clean their surroundings.
Officials describe it as an effort to revive a culture of cleanliness, but while many support the intention, the results have been underwhelming.
Communities clean up and pile waste along roads, only for LAWMA or PSP trucks to delay or fail to appear promptly. Rains then wash the refuse back into drains and streets.
Weeks and even months later, the same black spots remain in areas like Surulere, Iyana-Iba, Ìgando, Kosofe, Ikorodu, and Alimosho. Residents report persistent piles right beside homes and markets, defeating the purpose of the exercise.
This is more than an eyesore, but a serious public health threat as flies, rodents, and mosquitoes thrive in the waste. In markets, food vendors operate near rotting heaps.
Flooding, which hits Lagos almost every rainy season, worsens everything: trash blocks drains, floodwaters mix with contaminants, and germs enter homes, wells, and boreholes.
Cholera, which spreads through contaminated water and food, remains a constant danger. Nigeria has recorded thousands of cases in recent years, with Lagos often among the hardest hit.
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In past outbreaks, the state saw hundreds of confirmed cases and deaths. Lassa fever, transmitted by rodents that flourish in dirty environments, poses another risk. Inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities keep the cycle alive.
Task Force Partnership Raises Concerns
The government recently announced that it has partnered with transport unions such as the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) to form an environmental task force.
The aim is to leverage their widespread presence for better enforcement and monitoring of cleanliness around parks, garages, and roads.
However, this move has drawn criticism, with Ssome residents and observers argue that these unions have themselves been linked to street dirtiness through activities in their operational areas.
There are fears of potential abuse, such as extortion, harassment, or selective enforcement, if union members are given official powers. Critics worry that empowering groups perceived as partly responsible for the problem may not build public trust or deliver sustainable results.
The Human and Health Cost
The consequences are real and immediate. Children play near trash heaps, families in low-income neighborhoods breathe polluted air daily, food contamination risks rise sharply in markets.
When floods come, contaminated water carries pathogens directly into living spaces. A major cholera outbreak could overwhelm hospitals, claim lives, especially among children and the elderly, and disrupt economic activities in Nigeria’s commercial capital. Past outbreaks demonstrated how quickly the disease can spread under poor sanitation conditions.
Informal waste pickers help somewhat by recovering materials, but the overall system lacks formal support and safety standards for them.
What Lagos Must Do Now
Lagos does not lack plans, but it urgently needs consistent execution and systemic reform.
First, decentralise waste management responsibilities and resources to local governments for better accountability and quicker local responses.
Second, strengthen the basics: provide more functional trucks and compactors, maintain them regularly, improve access to disposal sites, and create fair incentives for PSP operators. Resolve payment issues so the system becomes financially sustainable without driving residents to illegal dumping.
Third, shift from reliance on landfills. Accelerate investment in recycling plants, waste-to-energy projects, and composting facilities that can process thousands of tonnes daily. Promote waste segregation at the household level through education and gradual enforcement.
Fourth, enforce rules intelligently. Target major polluters like construction sites and repeat offenders with consistent sanctions, while ensuring accessible collection services exist as alternatives. Any task force must operate with clear oversight, guidelines, and mechanisms to prevent abuse.
Fifth, integrate waste management with flood control. Clear drains and canals regularly and improve urban planning to reduce future risks.
Sixth, sustain public engagement. Monthly sanitation days can be useful if paired with reliable evacuation. Run continuous campaigns in schools, markets, and communities. Recognise and reward clean neighborhoods to build ownership.
Finally, increase transparency. Regularly publish data on collection routes, operator performance, and resolved complaints. Engage residents honestly about challenges and progress.
Lagosians are resilient and generate the energy that powers much of Nigeria’s economy. They deserve a cleaner, healthier megacity. The mountains of trash on streets reflect deeper governance challenges in managing explosive urban growth.
The rains are here, and waste continues to pile up. The window to avert a major health crisis is closing and government must move beyond temporary directives to build a reformed system that collects waste efficiently, disposes of it responsibly, and keeps Lagos livable.
Residents, too, must fulfill their roles by paying for services, avoiding indiscriminate dumping, and holding officials accountable.
The alternative, sick children, overwhelmed hospitals, and economic setbacks, is too costly for a city with such enormous potential. Lagos can and must do better before these warnings become a painful reality.