The Lagos State Government, on Sunday dismissed viral claims that the state is “smelling,” insisting that Lagos is evolving into a cleaner and more resilient megacity.
A National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Ushie Rita Uguamaye, had alleged in a now-viral video that Lagos State smells.
The claim has been widely supported by social media users, including the 2023 governorship candidate of the Labour Party in the state, Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour.
Reacting, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, dismissed the claims as baseless, stressing that Lagos is undergoing a structured evolution — not drowning in stench.
“Lagos is not ‘smelling,’ it is evolving toward sustainable waste processing, modernised landfill management, cleaner waterways and structured sanitation systems,” he stated.
Wahab said the Lagos government was set to close Olusosun and Solus landfills within the next 18 months as part of measures to maintain a clean city.
According to him, the government would close the landfills to transition them into modern Transfer Loading Stations where waste would be sorted, compacted and redirected to recycling facilities.
The move, he explained, is part of the comprehensive approach to ensure a clean, resilient, and livable city, dispelling viral insinuations that the state is smelling.
The commissioner emphasized that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration remains committed to building a sustainable environment through strategic policies and infrastructural development.
He said, “The present administration of Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu remains steadfast in its commitment to building a cleaner, more sustainable city through strategic environmental initiatives.
“Waste and sanitation challenges in a rapidly growing mega city like Lagos require structural solutions, not sound bites or political rhetoric.”
Other measures undertaken by the state government, according to Wahab, include the installation of over 50 air quality monitors across the state at strategic locations to capture industrial, transport and household emissions.
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Wahab said in line with the state’s THEMES plus Agenda, the government had expanded waste collection services to hard-to-reach communities, and in partnership with Ibeju Lekki Local Government, tricycle compactors had been introduced to provide waste collection services on a pay-as-you-go model in areas with non-motorable roads.
He said Lagos is also advancing its Waste to Energy project in Epe that would process 2,500 tonnes of municipal solid waste daily and generate 60-80 megawatts of electricity, contributing clean energy to the Lagos power grid.
The commissioner stated that as part of the street sanitation exercise, 15,000 street sweepers were deployed daily across highways, inner roads and markets, as well as stronger enforcement of environmental laws.
“In addressing open defecation, the state is embarking on continuous sensitisation and the construction of an additional 150 public toilets, which will be complemented by another 250 to be built through a public-private partnership,” Wahab explained.
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