𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐬

Nigeria's biggest challenges do not only need criticism. They need problem-solvers. One issue that has been on my mind recently is waste management in Lagos.

In many communities, refuse piles up for days, drainage channels fill with plastic and other waste, and some bus stops gradually become unofficial dumping grounds. Beyond the smell, flooding and visual pollution, there is a bigger policy question:

Where exactly does the failure begin?

Is it the responsibility of LAWMA, local governments, private waste operators, the state government, or citizens?

My answer is that each has a role to play.

A problem I witnessed

Two days ago, I passed through a recently completed road in my area. The road had a new drainage system designed to help manage flooding. What caught my attention was that some of the drainage channels were already becoming blocked by plastics, nylon, and other waste. The irony was difficult to ignore. We are investing in infrastructure to address flooding, while simultaneously allowing the same infrastructure to be obstructed by waste. But there is another side to the problem.

Last week, I was walking home after consuming a bottle of water. Because I am conscious of the consequences of littering, I kept the bottle with me until I got home.

Why?

There was simply nowhere appropriate to dispose of it. This made me think about something we often overlook: responsible citizens also need responsible systems.

We cannot expect people to dispose of waste properly when appropriate disposal points are difficult to find.

So, what would I forge?

I would propose a Clean Drainage, Clean Lagos Policy built around five connected actions:

More accessible waste collection points.

Every major bus stop, market, residential cluster and other high-traffic public space should have properly managed disposal points.

Regular drainage maintenance.

Drainage infrastructure should not only be constructed; it should be routinely inspected, cleared and maintained before blockages become flooding emergencies.

Stronger coordination between the government and waste operators.

LAWMA, local governments and licensed private operators should have clearly defined responsibilities for collection, monitoring and response.

Incentives for recycling.

Rather than treating all waste as something to be discarded, Lagos can expand systems that encourage households and businesses to separate recyclable materials and connect them with recycling operators.

Enforcement alongside public education.

Where proper disposal infrastructure exists, indiscriminate dumping should attract meaningful enforcement. But enforcement should go hand in hand with sustained public education and accessible alternatives.

The goal should not simply be “keep Lagos clean.”

It should be to build a system in which the government provides infrastructure and oversight, businesses participate responsibly, and citizens have both the means and the incentives to dispose of waste properly.

That, to me, is what meaningful policy should look like: not simply identifying what is wrong, but asking what we can forge differently.