PHOTO STORY: Lagos streets, bus stops become refuse dumps as collection system falters

Refuse continues to pile up on streets, road medians and bus stops across Lagos, despite government efforts to improve waste collection and tackle indiscriminate dumping, PREMIUM TIMES has found.

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At MITV Bus Stop, near the Lagos State Government Secretariat, nylons, plastic bottles and household waste have been dumped at the facility, which is meant for passengers.

At the MITV Bus Stop, near the Lagos State Government Secretariat, nylons, plastic bottles and household waste littered the facility. — **At the MITV Bus Stop, nylons, plastic bottles and household waste littered the facility.**

The refuse at the location had remained for more than a month, creating an unpleasant odour in the area.

**At Iyana Oworo Bus Stop, corn husks, nylons and plastic bottles had accumulated around the facility.**

The findings come weeks after PREMIUM TIMES published a special report on how mounting heaps of refuse had overwhelmed roads, markets and residential communities across Lagos.

On Alli Street, beside Tinubu Square on Lagos Island, PREMIUM TIMES observed nylons, plastic bottles, household waste and rotting fruits dumped in front of business premises. — **Plastic bottles, household waste and rotting fruits dumped in front of business premises.**

The report documented complaints from residents about irregular waste collection and the growing use of public spaces as dumping grounds.

In June, Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, apologised to residents over the waste-management challenges and acknowledged that the government had faced difficulties managing the situation.

“We had a challenge and we are fixing it,” Mr Wahab said.

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Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu subsequently ordered a scale-up of waste evacuation across the state.

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“LAWMA, LASEPA, and the Ministry of Environment are currently working around the clock,” Mr Sanwo-Olu said in a statement posted on his social media platforms.

“We have deployed extra trucks and personnel to clear the backlogs across all affected neighbourhoods. You should already see progress on the streets and we will not stop until our city is completely clean again,” the governor announced the directive in a Facebook post.

But the latest findings by PREMIUM TIMES show that refuse continues to accumulate in parts of Lagos, despite the government’s clean-up efforts and promises to improve waste collection.