The Lagos State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to environmental sustainability, dismissing recent viral claims that the city is “smelling.”
Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, on Sunday, highlighted the state’s ongoing efforts to ensure a clean, resilient, and livable city through comprehensive environmental strategies.
Responding to the claims circulating on social media, Wahab stated: “Lagos is not smelling; it is evolving—toward sustainable waste processing, modernized landfill management, cleaner waterways, and structured sanitation systems.”
He emphasized that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration is committed to building a cleaner and more sustainable city through strategic environmental initiatives, stressing that addressing waste and sanitation challenges in a fast-growing megacity requires structural solutions rather than political rhetoric.
To tackle environmental challenges, the state government has implemented the following initiatives:
– Enhanced Air Quality Monitoring: More than 50 air quality monitors have been installed across Lagos to track emissions from industrial, transport, and household sources.
– Expanded Waste Collection Services: The Lagos Waste Management Authority has extended its services to hard-to-reach communities. In Ibeju-Lekki, tricycle compactors have been introduced on a pay-as-you-go model for areas inaccessible by larger waste trucks. Plans are underway to deploy 500 additional tricycle compactors this year.
– Closure of Major Landfills: Within the next 18 months, the Olusosun and Solous III landfills will be transformed into modern Transfer Loading Stations. These facilities will sort, compact, and redirect waste to recycling centers, reducing the environmental impact of waste disposal.
– Waste-to-Energy Project: A newly established waste-to-energy facility in Epe will process 2,500 tonnes of solid waste daily. The project is expected to generate between 60 and 80 megawatts of electricity for the Lagos power grid.
– Ban on Styrofoam and Plastics: The state has banned the use of styrofoam food packs and has begun phasing out single-use plastics. Manufacturers are being encouraged to adopt sustainable alternatives under the Extended Producer Responsibility programme.
– Wastewater and Sewage Management: Three Modular Septage Pre-Treatment Plants have been deployed to treat fecal sludge before discharge. Additionally, the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency has reduced industrial effluent discharge into waterways by 25% through stricter enforcement. The Sewage and Wastewater Dislodgers Association of Nigeria is now under tighter regulation to prevent illegal waste dumping.
– Street Sanitation and Open Defecation Control: The government has deployed 15,000 street sweepers daily to clean highways, inner roads, and markets. Plans are in place to construct 150 new public toilets, with an additional 250 to be built through public-private partnerships. Local councils are also tasked with maintaining over 1,710 existing public toilets.
– Tree Planting and Greener Lagos Initiative: The “Trees for Lagos” campaign aims to plant 50,000 trees over the next two years. Trees will be strategically planted along highways, railway corridors, industrial zones, schools, and hospitals to improve air quality and urban aesthetics.
Wahab disclosed that the Lagos State Government has signed multiple Memoranda of Understanding with international partners to advance waste-to-resource projects.
“Our administration is committed to ensuring that Lagos remains at the forefront of waste recovery, recycling, and energy generation,” he stated.
Through these initiatives, the state government aims to transform Lagos into a cleaner, healthier, and more livable city for both residents and future generations.