LAGOS STATE TAKES STRONG ACTION AGAINST SANITATION OFFENCES, PROMOTES CULTURE CHANGE
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By: Fasasi Hammad
The Lagos State Government has disclosed that over 8,000 residents were prosecuted in the past year for environmental offences, including open defecation, as part of ongoing efforts to improve sanitation across the state.
Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, shared this on Tuesday during a television interview, highlighting the government’s combined strategy of enforcement and behavioural change.
Wahab stressed that while penalties are important, the state prioritizes changing mindsets rather than relying solely on fear-based compliance. “If you put the penalty first, that means you put the cart before the horse. Once people take ownership, introducing sanctions becomes easier,” he said.
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He noted that some residents continue to flout sanitation rules despite widespread access to facilities. Lagos has over 1,710 public toilets, with an additional 8,000 available in eateries and gas stations, yet some still defecate in open areas.
Citing Berger as an example, Wahab explained how enforcement has altered behaviour: “At Berger, there are modern public toilets, but people deliberately chose the median between Lagos and Ogun to defecate. When we started enforcement and arrests, the narrative changed.”
On infrastructure, Wahab highlighted ongoing improvements by the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), including increasing the number of waste bins and shifting from a linear disposal system to a circular, resource-based model. Plans are in place to decommission major landfills such as Olusosun and Solous 3 within 18–24 months while expanding new facilities in Epe and Badagry, targeting landfill waste reduction to below 5%.
He also discussed technology-driven measures to manage flooding, such as AI-powered early warning systems and 24/7 operations by the state’s Flood Abatement Gang.
Wahab reiterated that harmful practices like waste burning remain illegal, and air quality monitors are being deployed statewide to ensure compliance and protect public health.
While acknowledging that changing behaviour takes time, the commissioner emphasized that consistent advocacy, infrastructure investment, and enforcement will gradually transform sanitation practices in Lagos. “We are not going to get there overnight. But if we don’t build the right culture now, all the investments we are making will be undone by bad behaviour,” he said.
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