Four-month-old refuse heaps persist in Lagos despite LAWMA promise

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The refuse crisis in Lagos has persisted, with residents of Ejigbo and Idimu lamenting the failure of waste managers to evacuate refuse heaps that have remained on road medians for four months.

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The residents said the heaps, which had accumulated on the median linking Ejigbo and Idimu, had remained unattended despite repeated complaints to the relevant authorities.

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During a visit to the area on Sunday, our correspondent observed heaps of refuse dotting the medians at different points along the axis, particularly around the Dorcas and Church bus stops.

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Residents said both Private Sector Participation operators and officials of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority had failed to evacuate the waste.

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A resident, Seun Ajayi, said the refuse had remained on the median since May, making August the fourth month it had been left unattended.

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He said, “The refuse has been here since May. Nobody has come to evacuate it. We have continued to live with the waste, and the situation is becoming unbearable.

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“August makes it four months since the refuse was dumped here. The PSP operators come around, but this particular heap has remained here. We need the authorities to intervene and ensure that it is evacuated.”

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Another resident, who identified herself simply as Adeola, said the heaps had become an eyesore to motorists, commuters and other residents using the road.

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She said, “This is a major road connecting Ejigbo and Idimu, yet you can see refuse everywhere on the median. It has been there for months. This road is not known for the presence of refuse such as this. This is strange. We have called the attention of waste managers to it, but nothing is being done.”

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Further along the area, our correspondent observed heaps of refuse littering the stretch from OPC Junction to Idimu Bus Stop.

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As the road approached the Idimu Bus Stop, one of the heaps had accumulated to a height almost comparable to that of a vehicle, leaving a large pile of waste along the roadside.

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Residents said the problem was not a new development, describing the accumulation of refuse along the axis as a recurring occurrence.

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One of them, who declined to be named for personal reasons, said refuse heaps were often left for weeks before being evacuated.

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“This is a regular sight here. The refuse will be gathered, and it can remain there for almost two months before they come to evacuate it.

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“Sometimes, the heaps become so large that they begin to obstruct the road and constitute an eyesore. This particular situation has continued for a long time,” the resident said.

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Another resident, who identified himself simply as Martins, said the prolonged accumulation of refuse was frustrating residents’ efforts to maintain a clean environment.

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He said, “The authorities need to do something about this. It is not enough to evacuate refuse once in a while. There should be regular evacuation because people generate waste every day.

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“Look at the size of the heap around Idimu Bus Stop. It has become very high, and people who pass through this road see it every day.”

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The development comes barely two weeks after the Lagos State Waste Management Authority assured residents that the menace of refuse heaps across the metropolis would soon become a thing of the past following a fresh strategic intervention.

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The Managing Director of LAWMA, Muyiwa Gbadegesin, gave the assurance on Tuesday during the inauguration of the rehabilitated Road E and newly constructed disposal platforms at the Olusosun Disposal Facility in Ojota.

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For about six months, from August 2025 into early 2026, residents across Lagos repeatedly raised concerns over the worsening state of waste management, as heaps of refuse littered road medians, streets and major highways in several parts of the state.

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The crisis, however, has persisted in some areas despite a series of interventions by the state government and LAWMA.

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Efforts to obtain the reaction of the LAWMA boss on Monday were unsuccessful, as calls and WhatsApp messages sent to him were not responded to as of the time of filing this report.

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