LAGOS Nigeria – In its bid to turn the state into a mega city, Lagos State government has vowed continued enforcement of its environmental laws.
Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, made this disclosure while addressing the media on the achievements of his ministry during the year 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja.
He stated that the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat’s administration, is committed to ensuring that the state evolves into a megacity and will not relent in making sure Lagosians abide with laws guiding the environment in the state.
From left: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Dr Omobolaji Gaji; Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment, Mr Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu; Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab and Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr Gboyega Akosile, during the Year 2025 Lagos State Government Ministerial Press Briefing by the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources in Lagos on Friday (25/04/25).
Wahab said between 2024 and 2025, the ministry received 758 public complaints out of which 749 were treated. 1,674 abatement notices were issued while 4,955 monitoring exercise of various environmental infractions across the state were carried out.
He also said 171 premises were sealed within 2024 and 2025, 105 demolition exercises were carried out and 111 properties and sites were monitored while 35 per cent was recorded compliance status.
“The major infractions observed were stacking of building materials on the road and drainage channels, blockage of the drainage, indiscriminate mixing of building materials on the road, non-provision of toilet facilities leading to open urination and defecation,” Wahab said.
On the issue of waste, Wahab said the administration is in the process of revolutionizing the state’s waste management process from a linear “collect and dump” system to a sustainable circular economy.
He said the state generates over 13,000 metric tonnes of solid wastes daily adding that the 2024 signing of several Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, between the state and some private firms would not only develop waste to resource opportunity but improved collection and recycling of solid and liquid waste.
The Commissioner further said that the government is establishing a smelting plant for the conversion of electronic waste which will transform Lagos as a leader in electronic waste recycling.
“Our attempt in the last one year is to ensure Lagos evolves into a megacity with sustainable waste processing, modernized landfill management, cleaner waterways and structured Sanitation systems” he said.
He noted that the banning of the sale, distribution and use of Styrofoam food packs, which in the past was responsible for flooding and clogged drains, has yielded positive results adding that the enforcement of the ban on Single Use Plastics, SUPs, has commenced from the beginning of the Year 2025 while the promotion of sustainable alternatives and extended producer responsibility is being advocated.
On the issue surrounding welfare of street sweepers, the commissioner said their welfare is paramount to the state while admitting that they were not staff of Lagos State government but ad-hoc staff employed in order to create jobs.
He said 15,000 street sweepers are deployed across highways, inner roads and markets daily while also ensuring stronger enforcement of environmental laws as well as penalizing indiscriminate waste disposal defaulters.
Wahab said 700 persons were arrested for highway crossing while another 3, 786 street traders and cart pushers were arrested and prosecuted between 2024 and 2025.
In order to curb open defecation, the commissioner said the administration is constructing an additional 150 new public toilets while another 250 toilets are being executed through Public Private Partnership under the WASH initiative in markets, motor parks and informal settlements.
He said 150 people were arrested for Open Defecation on the pedestrian bridges while the bridges were cleaned up.
He mentioned that in the last one year, government had awarded over 300km of secondary collector drains and 70km of primary channels towards the concrete lining of drainage channels which are at various level of completions while some are newly awarded projects stressing that the constructions will enhance the effectiveness of the channels as well as reduce the rate of maintenance.
“Government in 2024 commenced the de-flooding of drainage channels running in between schools across the state; a total of 18 channels were de-flooded around Agege, Alimosho, Surulere, Epe, Ikorodu Badagry, Ajeromi-Ifelodun while another seven channels have been de-flooded for the year 2025; all these channels contribute to the free flow of stormwater” he said.
He added that as part of measures to ensure a greener and healthier Lagos, more parks were created and maintained as well as the planting of more trees to promote recreation while fighting the negative effect of climate change stressing that the Lagos State Parks and Garden Agency recently launched a “A Trees for Lagos campaign” to accelerate tree planting efforts through cluster and creation of urban forest gardens with the target of planting an additional 50,000 trees in two years to join the stock of trees already planted.
He said the government through the Lagos Water Corporation, LWC, has revived the 70MGD Adiyan II which will provide 70 million gallons of safe drinking water daily, benefiting over 5 million Lagosians and significantly improving access to clean water across the state.
He added that the project is set for completion by 2027 saying LWC successfully re-commissioned the 2MGD Mosan Okunola in order to restore water supply to the Baruwa-Abesan community, ending 25 years of water scarcity and significantly improving residents’ quality of life while the rehabilitation of the Isashi waterworks was concluded in 2024.
