We must urgently embrace waste separation at source, recycling, community composting and stronger grassroots education… Government must provide efficient infrastructure and reliable collection services, while citizens must stop dumping refuse in drains, canals, medians and undeveloped spaces… Climate change may increase rainfall and flooding, but poor sanitary habits compound the problem…This is not the time for blame. It is time for reform, shared responsibility and urgent action.
INCREASINGLY, heaps of refuse are reappearing on road medians, street corners, around markets and in other public spaces across Lagos.
This is not only an eyesore; it is a serious environmental and public-health concern. Uncollected waste produces offensive odours, attracts rodents and insects, blocks drains and worsens flooding.
While access difficulties at major disposal facilities may partly explain the present situation, Lagos requires a more resilient and comprehensive waste-management system. A city generating thousands of tonnes of waste daily cannot depend mainly on collecting and transporting everything to a few disposal sites.
We must urgently embrace waste separation at source, recycling, community composting and stronger grassroots education.
Government must provide efficient infrastructure and reliable collection services, while citizens must stop dumping refuse in drains, canals, medians and undeveloped spaces.
Climate change may increase rainfall and flooding, but poor sanitary habits compound the problem.
This is not the time for blame. It is time for reform, shared responsibility and urgent action.
Lagos must not return to the era of refuse.
