Lagos has always been celebrated as Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre, a city of dreams, opportunities, innovation and resilience. It is home to Africa’s largest concentration of businesses, a major financial hub, and an emerging tourism destination competing with cities such as Cape Town, Kigali, Cairo and Casablanca.
Yet, beneath the glittering skyscrapers, luxury estates and ambitious infrastructure projects lies an uncomfortable reality that can no longer be ignored.
Today, Lagos is battling what many residents increasingly describe as an epidemic of dirt and refuse.
The situation has deteriorated to the point where heaps of decomposing waste have become permanent features on major highways, road medians, residential neighbourhoods and commercial districts. In many parts of the metropolis, the stench from unattended refuse has become so overpowering that residents jokingly, but painfully, remark that one cannot even swallow saliva without inhaling the nauseating odour.
Sadly, this is no longer an exaggeration but an everyday experience for countless Lagosians.
A drive through many parts of Lagos tells a disturbing story. Mountains of refuse welcome motorists at strategic intersections. Overflowing bins line busy roads. Blocked drainage channels filled with plastic waste contribute to flooding during rainfall, while open dumps attract rodents, flies and disease-carrying insects.
For a state that aspires to become one of the world’s leading smart cities, the contradiction is glaring.
The environmental crisis raises fundamental questions about governance, planning and accountability.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has acknowledged residents’ concerns and directed the immediate evacuation of refuse across affected communities, deploying the Lagos Waste Management Authority [LAWMA], the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency [LASEPA] and other agencies to intensify waste clearance operations.
While the directive is welcome, emergency evacuations are not substitutes for a sustainable waste management strategy.
The recurring refuse crisis suggests deeper structural failures that go beyond temporary clean-up exercises. Operational bottlenecks at disposal sites and inefficiencies in waste collection have left refuse uncollected for prolonged periods, creating a public health and environmental emergency.
Beyond the environmental concerns, many residents have become increasingly frustrated by what they perceive as the Lagos State Government’s slow and inadequate response to the worsening refuse crisis. Sadly, Governor Sanwo-Olu appears, in the eyes of many Lagosians, to have failed to demonstrate the urgency and decisiveness that the situation demands.
As refuse continues to pile up across major roads and communities, many residents have begun questioning whether the administration possesses the capacity and political will to effectively tackle one of the most fundamental responsibilities of government, keeping the city clean, healthy and habitable.
Whether this perception is entirely justified or not, it reflects a growing crisis of public confidence. Leadership is judged not only by infrastructure projects but also by the ability to respond swiftly and effectively to challenges that directly affect the daily lives of citizens. Allowing the refuse crisis to persist for months risks creating the impression of an administration that is disconnected from the everyday realities confronting ordinary Lagosians
Poor waste management poses serious public health risks. Rotting refuse generates offensive odours and creates breeding grounds for mosquitoes, flies and rats. Contaminated drainage systems increase the likelihood of waterborne diseases during flooding. Air quality deteriorates as decomposing organic waste releases harmful gases, while illegal burning of refuse exposes residents to toxic smoke.
For visitors arriving in Lagos through its airports or major highways, first impressions matter. Tourism thrives on cleanliness, safety and a pleasant urban experience. Investors equally pay attention to environmental quality when making decisions about where to establish businesses.
No global city has attained excellence while allowing waste to dominate its streets.
Singapore, Kigali and Dubai did not become clean by accident. They invested in efficient waste collection systems, enforced environmental laws consistently, educated citizens and held institutions accountable. Cleanliness became a culture supported by effective governance.
Government alone cannot shoulder the responsibility. Residents must also abandon indiscriminate waste disposal. Markets, businesses, transport operators and households all have important roles to play. Environmental sanitation is a shared responsibility requiring cooperation between government, the private sector and citizens.
When waste collection systems function efficiently, illegal dumping reduces significantly. When regulations are enforced fairly and consistently, compliance improves. When institutions perform their responsibilities effectively, citizens respond positively.
The current refuse situation should therefore serve as a wake-up call, not merely for the Lagos State Government but for every stakeholder involved in environmental management.
Lagos generates enormous economic wealth every day. It should not simultaneously generate mountains of unmanaged waste.
The city deserves cleaner streets, healthier neighbourhoods and an environment worthy of its status as Africa’s leading economic powerhouse.
History will not judge any administration solely by the bridges it built or the roads it commissioned. It will also remember whether ordinary citizens could walk their streets without covering their noses, whether children grew up in healthy surroundings, and whether the environment reflected the aspirations of a modern global city.
The refuse crisis confronting Lagos is not merely an environmental issue.
It is a test of governance, public health, urban planning and political leadership.
The time for temporary interventions has passed. Lagos needs lasting solutions that will restore the confidence of residents and ensure that Africa’s largest city is known not for its mountains of refuse, but for the cleanliness, order and excellence expected of a true megacity.
By Dr. Lucky George
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