The Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources has announced significant progress in combating open defecation, with 150 individuals arrested for the offence in 2025. Commissioner Tokunbo Wahab disclosed that the arrests included squatters displaced from pedestrian bridges, which were subsequently cleaned and restored.
New Toilet Facilities Under Construction
To further address open defecation, the ministry is building 20 toilet facilities comprising 200 toilet units and 40 bathrooms with urinals for males. The facilities, about 70% complete, include provisions for People with Disability (PWD) and will be solar powered with an on-site treatment plant. The state currently operates over 1,710 public toilets across parks, markets, and residential areas in 20 LGAs and 37 LCDAs.
Enforcement Actions and Prosecutions
The Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) unit served 192 Environmental Abatement Notices and arrested 6,789 individuals for unlawful highway crossing and failure to use pedestrian bridges in 2025. Additionally, 3,786 persons—including illegal traders, street hawkers, environmental offenders, and cart pushers—were apprehended. All arrestees were prosecuted under the Lagos State Environmental Law.
Stakeholder Engagement
Beyond enforcement, the ministry held 170 stakeholder meetings with communities to address environmental infractions and improve public compliance with sanitation regulations.
Flood Control and Drainage Maintenance
To maintain a flood-free city, 18 primary channels spanning approximately 76 km were approved and executed under the maintenance dredging program. The Drainage Enforcement and Compliance Department identified 2,218 contravening structures and successfully removed 1,544 (70% success rate). Between April 2025 and April 2026, the administration awarded construction of over 100 km of secondary collector drains and 30 km of primary channels, with ongoing projects at various completion stages.
Monthly Environmental Sanitation
The return of the statewide monthly environmental sanitation exercise remains a key highlight. Despite criticism, the April edition saw massive participation from residents, including the First Family and cabinet members. Local government chairmen supported the exercise with compactor trucks, and private companies donated trucks for refuse collection.
Waste Management and Recycling
Lagos generates over 13,000 metric tonnes of refuse daily and is transitioning to a sustainable zero-waste economy. The ministry confiscated about 5 million worth of banned Styrofoam and single-use plastics (SUPs) from warehouses and malls, removing 137,530.94 kg of PET plastic in 2025. Total recyclables collected reached 185,850.72 kg.
Climate Governance Ranking
Lagos was ranked the top-performing state in Nigeria for climate governance for the second consecutive year.
Wetland Protection
Developers engaged in unauthorized reclamation and illegal construction on wetlands were served statutory notices. Nine facilities involved in wetland encroachment across Ogombo, Lekki Phase II, Itoikin-Epe axis, and Majidun, Ikorodu were sealed.
Tree Planting Initiative
The ministry recorded 16,966 trees planted, with 13,572 successfully established across all five divisions of Lagos State. The breakdown includes 2,779 in Ikeja, 490 in Badagry, 1,601 in Ikorodu, 3,625 in Lagos Island, and 8,471 in Epe.
