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Lagos drowning in refuse again: Heaps return to roads, medians, bus stops
The stretch of Ikotun Road tells a familiar story. Along parts of the median, refuse has accumulated in heaps, with plastic bags, bottles, food waste and other discarded materials occupying spaces meant to separate traffic. At some points, the waste is scattered beyond the median, leaving motorists and pedestrians to pass alongside it.
The problem is not confined to Ikotun. Across parts of Lagos, refuse has again become a visible feature of the urban landscape, appearing on road medians, drainage channels, bus stops, road setbacks, market areas and residential streets.
Recent observations and reports from different parts of the metropolis show waste accumulation in areas including Ikotun, Igando, Idimu, Ejigbo, Egbeda, Iyana-Ipaja, Oshodi, Isolo, Mushin, Agege, Abule-Egba, Ajao Estate, Okota and parts of Lagos Island.The locations differ, but the pattern is similar: waste is collected in some areas, evacuated, and then begins to accumulate again.
Along the Ikotun-Ejigbo corridor, refuse has remained a recurring environmental problem. The issue has also extended to the Ikotun Market and Igando areas, where waste has been dumped around public spaces and, in some cases, on road medians.
The situation has prompted enforcement by the Lagos Waste Management Authority, particularly against businesses and operators accused of dumping refuse on unauthorised portions of the road.But enforcement has not ended the problem. On the Idimu-Ejigbo Road, a large refuse heap on the median around the Dorcas and Silva Estate axis has remained a concern. The heap, extending for a considerable distance along the median, has become one of the more visible examples of the difficulty of keeping waste from returning after evacuation.
The Egbeda-Ikotun Road has faced a similar cycle. Waste has previously been cleared from portions of the road, only for residents and roadside operators to resume dumping in some locations.
In Iyana-Ipaja and Egbeda, refuse has also been observed around roads and public spaces, while the wider Alimosho axis continues to experience pressure from the volume of waste generated by its densely populated communities.