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The Lagos State Government has intensified enforcement against illegal waste dumping and environmental violations, blaming indiscriminate refuse disposal for worsening flash floods across parts of the state during periods of heavy rainfall.
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed this on Wednesday during an inspection of the government-cleared median along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, where officials assessed compliance with directives against illegal occupation and waste disposal.
According to Wahab, the state has invested substantial public resources in restoring the corridor and will maintain continuous monitoring to prevent a return of illegal activities.
What they are saying
- “We have done the work on the ground. The operation is once and for all, and we will patrol the area forever,” Wahab said.
The commissioner explained that the median has been preserved for the proposed Lagos rail corridor, dismissing suggestions that the land should be concessioned for landscaping or other commercial uses.
Other News
- “It is for the rail line coming this way. We have to keep it clean for them,” he added. He urged residents to use registered Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators for waste collection or contact the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) in areas where PSP operators are unavailable.
- “Waste on the median comes from people’s homes that choose not to patronise PSP operators,” he said.
- “For those paying, LAWMA and PSP operators owe them efficient service. There are no excuses,” he stated.
As part of its environmental enforcement campaign, Wahab disclosed that the state government has prosecuted more than 1,000 environmental offenders over the past year.
He stressed that enforcement remains critical to improving environmental sanitation and ensuring compliance with state regulations.
- “Once there is a law, you must enforce it and attach consequences for bad behaviour,” he said.
What you should know
Nairametrics previously reported that the Lagos State Government recently ordered the immediate demolition of illegal structures obstructing drainage channels and canal rights of way in Agungi, Ajiran and Ikota as part of efforts to tackle persistent flooding in the affected communities.
The directive followed an inspection by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, who said the enforcement exercise would involve reopening blocked drainage channels and removing buildings that have encroached on designated waterways.
The government said the decision was prompted by recurring flooding in Agungi despite the completion of major drainage infrastructure in the area more than two years ago. Officials also identified a significant obstruction at the Ajiran outfall channel during the inspection.
Adding to concerns, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) had warned of an elevated risk of flash flooding in Lagos and other coastal states due to forecasts of sustained rainfall across southern Nigeria. The agency advised residents, motorists and businesses in flood-prone and low-lying areas to take precautionary measures as continuous rainfall could lead to temporary flooding in vulnerable communities.
