By Bunmi Yekini
Lagos State Government has refuted claims that the city is “smelling,” insisting that it is instead evolving through a comprehensive, multi-sectoral approach to environmental sustainability.
In a statement released on Sunday, Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, emphasized the state’s commitment to modern waste management, cleaner waterways, and structured sanitation systems.
“Lagos is not ‘smelling,’ it is evolving—toward sustainable waste processing, modernized landfill management, cleaner waterways, and structured sanitation systems,” Wahab said.
He highlighted key initiatives taken by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration to maintain a clean and resilient city, stressing that Lagos’ waste and sanitation challenges require structural solutions rather than “sound bites or political rhetoric.”
Among the state’s initiatives is the installation of over 50 air quality monitors across Lagos to track industrial, transport, and household emissions. Additionally, the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has expanded waste collection services to hard-to-reach areas, introducing tricycle compactors in partnership with Ibeju Lekki Local Government. Wahab revealed that 500 more tricycle compactors would be deployed later this year to enhance waste collection in non-motorable areas.
In a significant move, the government plans to close the Olusosun and Solous 3 landfills within the next 18 months, converting them into modern Transfer Loading Stations where waste will be sorted, compacted, and redirected to recycling facilities.
Furthering its commitment to sustainable waste management, Lagos is advancing a Waste-to-Energy project in Epe, expected to process 2,500 tonnes of municipal solid waste daily and generate 60–80 megawatts of electricity.
The commissioner also noted progress in reducing pollution, revealing that industrial effluent discharge into Lagos waterways has dropped by 25% in the past two years due to strict enforcement by the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA).
The government has also intensified efforts to phase out single-use plastics, banning styrofoam food packs and promoting sustainable alternatives through extended producer responsibility (EPR) policies.
To tackle indiscriminate wastewater disposal, the Lagos Wastewater Management Office (LASWMO) has deployed three Modular seagate pre-treatment Plants (MSPP) and is enforcing stricter compliance among sewage and wastewater dislodgers.
As part of street sanitation efforts, 15,000 street sweepers are deployed daily across highways, inner roads, and markets, with stronger enforcement of environmental laws. To curb open defecation, the state is constructing 150 new public toilets, with plans to build 250 more through public-private partnerships.
In a bid to make Lagos greener, Wahab announced the launch of the “Trees for Lagos” campaign, which aims to plant 50,000 trees over the next two years across highways, railway routes, industrial areas, schools, and hospitals.
“The present administration remains steadfast in its commitment to building a cleaner, more sustainable city through strategic environmental initiatives,” Wahab affirmed.