Irregular waste collection frustrating our sanitation efforts – Lagos residents

Some resident of Lagos have complained that failure of authorities to regularly collect waste across the state is frustrating their efforts to maintain clean surroundings, in spite of their participation in environmental sanitation exercises.

The residents spoke in separate interviews on Saturday in Lagos during sanitation activities in their neighbourhoods.

The residents were ​‌‌⁠‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‍‌‍​‍⁠‍‌​observed sweeping their surroundings, packing refuse and clearing dirt from drainage channels in Maiyegun Oro Street Amukoko, and Okerube, Ikotun.

In Maiyegun Oro Street, Amukoko, Mrs Mary Akingboye, a resident, said she cleaned her surroundings twice weekly, in addition to participating in monthly sanitation exercises.

Akingboye said she also cleared the drainage around her compound regularly, but identified refuse accumulation as a major challenge.

She said some residents kept waste in front of their compounds for more than a week before it was evacuated.

Akingboye called for closer monitoring of sanitation activities and greater encouragement for residents to maintain cleaner surroundings.

Mrs Aliyah Kazeem, a trader on Maiyegun Oro Street, said some residents failed to clean their surroundings regularly.

Kazeem called for closer monitoring during sanitation exercises to encourage residents to participate more actively.

Mr Ibrahim Babatunde, another resident, identified inadequate drainage as a major sanitation challenge and called for regular clearing of existing channels.

Babatunde also urged authorities to provide additional drainage channels and intensify public education on the effects of poor sanitation.

Mrs Temitope Jimoh, another resident, said residents participated in sanitation exercises but identified waste accumulation as a major challenge.

She called for increased public awareness on environmental sanitation to encourage residents to maintain cleaner surroundings.

At Okerube, Ikotun, a resident who identified herself as Mummy Joy said difficulty disposing of refuse remained a major challenge.

Joy said waste collection was irregular, while informal collectors sometimes charged between N1,500 and N2,000 to evacuate refuse.

“Even if you sweep the gutter or your surroundings and keep the waste, it is difficult to find where to dispose of it,” she said.

She urged the government to provide more waste operators to ensure timely evacuation of refuse.

Mrs Adeyinka Adewunmi, a trader on Akanbi Street, Okerube, said environmental sanitation had helped residents clear their surroundings, particularly during the rainy season.

Adewunmi, however, said irregular waste collection remained a challenge, forcing some residents to rely on informal collectors.

“We don’t usually see PSP operators, so we give out waste to informal waste collectors. We can’t leave our dirt for three months,” she said.

She also urged the government to address roads affected by rainfall to improve conditions for residents.

Mrs Success Monday, another resident of Akanbi Street, said refuse dumped along the main road had become a major sanitation concern.

Monday said irregular waste evacuation forced residents to engage alternative collectors to prevent refuse from accumulating on the roads.

“The dumping is too much. Since PSP operators do not come punctually, we call collectors to carry the dustbins,” she said.

She urged the government to support waste collectors to prevent refuse from accumulating in the community.

NAN observed limited participation in the exercise at Okerube, with some cleaning activities carried out by domestic workers and paid cleaners.

The residents called for greater commitment from authorities to improve sanitation monitoring, public awareness and regular waste evacuation.

(NAN)