Lagos Residents Sound Alarm Over Worsening Waste Collection Crisis
Residents across multiple communities in Lagos State have raised serious concerns about the deteriorating regularity of waste collection services provided by Private Sector Participant (PSP) operators. The situation has reached a critical point where many households are resorting to dangerous alternatives that pose significant health and environmental risks.
Mounting Health Hazards Across Communities
From Ikorodu to Alagbado, residents reported extended gaps in refuse evacuation, compelling them to burn waste or dispose of it in drainage channels, particularly during rainfall. The problem spans numerous areas including Ayobo, Shasha, Ikotun, Akesan, Afariogun Street, Mafoluku, Airport Road, and LASU-Iba Road, according to interviews conducted with the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday, November 16, 2025.
Miss Adekoya Toyosi, a businesswoman in Ikorodu, revealed that waste collection frequency has dropped dramatically from three times monthly to just once a month. "When the waste accumulates and the PSP doesn't come, we use the gutter during rains, and sometimes we burn it when it's sunny," she explained, noting that residents pay between ₦500 and ₦700 depending on the volume of waste.
Human resource practitioner Mr Timilehin Ogunnariwo highlighted additional challenges, stating that PSP trucks often arrive already filled to capacity, leaving inner streets completely unattended. "I use three drums in my compound, but when waste overflows, rats scatter it everywhere. The leakage from overflowing PSP trucks in local markets has become a recurring environmental hazard," he stated.
Informal Solutions and Their Consequences
The service gaps have forced residents to seek alternative, often hazardous, waste disposal methods. Fashion designer Mrs Ajibola Mafolayanmi disclosed that she burns her waste three to four times weekly. "Burning gives us catarrh and cough, but we have no choice since the PSP does not come to our area," she lamented.
Food vendor Mrs Oluranti Favour and other residents have turned to cart pushers and informal haulers, despite these methods being officially banned. Another resident identified as Iya Gbogo reported paying between ₦500 and ₦1,000 weekly for private disposal services since she wasn't registered under the PSP system.
Market supervisor Mrs Ogundinmu Mariam confirmed that refuse evacuation through local councils occurs only weekly and inconsistently. "During the rainy season, the whole place becomes messy and smelly," she added, emphasizing the deteriorating sanitary conditions.
Service Disparities and Systemic Issues
The crisis exhibits significant geographical disparities. While most communities struggle, residents of Lekki Phase 1 reported steady service. Civil servant Mrs Ese Afolabi commended PSP operators in her area for consistently evacuating waste every Monday or the following day if delayed.
Elsewhere, the problems are multifaceted. In Ayobo Extension, residents attributed service lapses to poor road conditions and persistent rainfall. At Shasha, Egbeda, teacher Mrs Stella Lawrence accused PSP operators of providing "selective services," noting that nearby estates enjoy regular pickups while other streets remain neglected.
Journalist Mr Ugochukwu Eze from Ikotun criticized the billing system, comparing it to the former NEPA: "Sometimes they don't come for two weeks, yet they bill you as if they came. They should implement a pay-as-you-go model."
Civil servant Mr Kunle Ayodele from the Akesan–Badore axis reported that PSP operators hadn't visited in over three weeks. "The heaps of dirt pose disease outbreak risks. People now dump refuse on the expressway," he explained, citing the closure of the Igando dumpsite and relocation to Badagry as factors increasing turnaround time and operational costs.
In Ajao Estate, civil servant Mr Ugochukwu Okoro expressed confusion about reduced collection frequency despite regular payments. "Ajao Estate, known for its cleanliness, is gradually being littered with waste," he noted with concern.
Official Responses and Regulatory Measures
The President of the Association of Scrap and Waste Pickers of Lagos, Mr Friday Oku, acknowledged concerns about scavengers scattering waste at collection points. He revealed that the association is collaborating with government agencies to train waste pickers on proper handling and occupational safety measures.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State government has announced stricter penalties for illegal waste disposal. Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources Tokunbo Wahab declared that offenders face ₦250,000 fines or three months imprisonment for dumping refuse illegally or littering public spaces, with serial offenders facing even stiffer punishments.
As the waste management crisis deepens across Lagos, residents continue to grapple with the health implications of irregular collection services while authorities work to address the systemic challenges plaguing the PSP waste management system.
