Lagos reaffirms push to end open defecation by 2030

The Lagos State Government has reiterated its commitment to making the state open-defecation-free by 2030.

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The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, gave the assurance in Lagos during an event to commemorate World Toilet Day on Wednesday.

Mr Wahab outlined recent government efforts to expand toilet infrastructure, noting that the administration had approved the construction of 20 additional public toilets, each comprising 10 units, bringing the total number of new units to 200.

But amidst efforts to achieve the stated goals, our reporter has persistent cases of open defecation on the streets of Lagos and the indiscriminate discharge of human waste from buildings in Itafaji and Tinubu Square areas of Lagos Island.

This confirms that there are still wide gaps in the goverment’s efforts to meet its target of ridding the state of open defication.

Meanwhile, Mr Wahab said the approval for 20 additional public toilet in the state will complement the existing 1,710 public toilets already spread across the state, and he said that the government was also strengthening the Lagos State Wastewater Management Office to enhance its capacity for effective faecal sludge management.

“The state is in partnership with WaterAid Nigeria to conduct a pivotal study on the sanitation circular economy, which will identify opportunities in faecal sludge management and involve strategic collaboration to foster sustainable sanitation practices,” he said.

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Mr Wahab said the state was also working with other development partners, including UNICEF, USAID, the World Bank and WaterAid Nigeria to scale up sanitation projects.

The commissioner said the annual event was designed to raise awareness about the urgent need for safe and sustainable sanitation for all.

In his welcome remarks, the Permanent Secretary in the Office of Environmental Services, Gaji Omobolaji, who was represented by the Director of the Environmental Education Unit, Monsurat Banire, stressed the life-saving importance of safe toilets.

“No matter what lies ahead, we will always rely on sanitation to protect us from diseases and keep our environment clean,” he said.

Delivering a lecture titled, “Sanitation in a Changing World: We’ll Always Need the Toilet,” Babatunde Onajobi urged participants to view sanitation not merely as a service but as a fundamental human right.

He called for stronger advocacy for sanitation policies, increased funding, improved infrastructure, hygiene education and partnerships capable of driving innovative, sustainable solutions.

At the gathering, which brought together water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) experts, stakeholders emphasised the need for future-focused sanitation systems capable of meeting the state’s growth and environmental challenges.

They also highlighted the importance of continuous public enlightenment on hygiene practices to improve community sanitation.

Participants noted that while World Toilet Day serves as a reminder that toilets are essential to public health and human dignity, stronger collaboration among government, development partners and local communities is required to ensure no resident is left behind.

Push for enforcement

In February, members of the Lagos State House of Assembly urged the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources to enforce environmental laws against open defecation and provide free public toilets across the state.

The lawmakers, who commended Mr Wahab for his sanitation reforms, said stricter measures were needed to curb open defecation and address homelessness, a major driver of the practice.

Raising the issue under ‘Matter of Urgent Public Importance’, Stephen Ogundipe, who represented Oshodi-Isolo 1, warned that persistent open defecation tarnishes Lagos’ reputation and undermines sustainable development.

He said the practice poses a direct threat to public health and called for multi-stakeholder interventions to promote good hygiene.

Mr Ogundipe argued that the sanitation crisis contributes to urban decay and slows economic growth. He urged the Ministry of Information to intensify public sensitisation, particularly in motor parks and other high-traffic public spaces.

Another member, Bonu Solomon, who represented Badagry 1, called for the arrest of destitute people who defecate on the streets, urging local government councils to support the state’s cleanliness drive.

Also, Aro Moshood, who represented Ikorodu 2, noted that many riverine areas remain hotspots for open defecation, adding that indiscriminate refuse disposal has also worsened sanitation challenges across Lagos.

In March, the state government, in partnership with WaterAid, Plan International and private operators, announced plans to construct 350 public toilets across Lagos to curb open defecation and promote improved hygiene.

WaterAid projected that its interventions would directly reach 10 million Lagos residents and indirectly impact another 17 million by 2028.

Speaking at a media roundtable organised with WaterAid, the Special Adviser on Environment, Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, said construction had already begun in some locations and that sites for additional facilities had been identified.

He said the state would adopt a three-pronged approach involving the provision of infrastructure, massive advocacy, and enforcement to ensure residents embrace the use of public toilets.

Mr Rotimi-Akodu thanked WaterAid for its collaboration, saying the partnership would help Lagos achieve universal access to clean water, decent toilets and improved hygiene.

He said providing more public toilets would reduce government spending on avoidable disease outbreaks, allowing resources to be channelled into other developmental priorities.

He explained that the state was delaying some construction activities to secure alternative water sources, rather than relying on boreholes. According to him, the government discourages borehole drilling in homes, worship centres, and commercial premises due to environmental concerns and is instead prioritising potable water supply from the Lagos Water Corporation.

“Borehole drilling is not something we are proud of and it’s something we are eager to run away from,” he said, noting that the Adiyan Waterworks expansion would soon generate no less than 100 million gallons of pipe-borne water daily.

The Permanent Secretary of the Office of Drainage Services, Mahmood Adegbite, said many homes and organisations rely on water supplied by the Lagos State Water Corporation without paying for it, forcing the government to continually bail out the corporation.

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He said the state was working out sustainable ways to engage defaulting users, noting that existing regulatory agencies would be involved in tariff-setting to ensure efficiency and fairness.

In November 2024, the Lagos State Government approved the construction of 100 new public toilets as part of broader efforts to combat open defecation. The initiative, embedded in the state’s Resilience Strategy, seeks to ensure toilet and bathroom access in every Local Government and Local Council Development Area.

Mr Wahab, speaking during last year’s World Toilet Day with the theme “Use the Toilet and Have Peace”, said the global sanitation crisis affecting billions of people underscores the urgency for Lagos to scale up sanitation.

“The state government has approved the construction of 100 new public toilet units across the state,” Mr Wahab said in a post. “The state aims to ensure a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future for residents.”

He reiterated the administration’s commitment to expanding sanitation infrastructure and advancing progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 6, which seeks universal access to water and sanitation by 2030.