The Lagos State Government has fiercely countered claims made by Ushie Rita Uguamaye, a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member who, in a now-viral video, alleged that Lagos reeks of filth.
The government insisted that the city is not only clean but is rapidly transforming into a resilient, livable, and globally competitive metropolis.
In a strongly worded statement on Sunday, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, dismissed the claims as baseless, stressing that Lagos is undergoing a structured evolution—not drowning in stench.
“Lagos is not ‘smelling’—it is evolving!” Wahab declared. “We are implementing cutting-edge waste processing, modern landfill management, cleaner waterways, and improved sanitation systems to ensure a world-class city.”
The commissioner outlined aggressive environmental policies that the Sanwo-Olu administration is executing to cement Lagos’ status as a premier urban hub.
Among them are 50 Air Quality Monitors deployed across the state to track industrial, transport, and household emissions, expanded Waste Collection Services, including tricycle compactors in hard-to-reach areas and modern Waste Processing—Closure of Olusosun and Solous 3 landfills within 18 months, transitioning them into state-of-the-art Transfer Loading Stations.
Others are massive Waste-to-Energy Project in Epe to convert 2,500 tonnes of waste daily into 60–80 megawatts of electricity, ban on Styrofoam Food Packs and a gradual phase-out of single-use plastics, 15,000 Street Sweepers deployed daily across highways, markets, and inner roads and public toilet Revolution—150 new facilities underway, with an additional 250 coming via public-private partnerships.
The government also revealed that industrial effluent discharge into Lagos waterways has dropped by 25%, thanks to stringent environmental enforcement by LASEPA.
“We are enforcing strict compliance to stop indiscriminate dumping of wastewater. The state is deploying bio-remediation techniques to naturally purify our canals and lagoons,” Wahab assured.
Furthermore, the “Trees for Lagos” campaign aims to plant 50,000 trees in two years, transforming highways, railway corridors, estates, and hospitals into greener, healthier environments.
Firing back at social media-driven narratives, Wahab insisted that governance cannot be dictated by “viral soundbites and political rhetoric.”
“Lagos is a dynamic, fast-growing megacity. Like every global urban centre, we face challenges, but we are implementing structured, long-term solutions—not knee-jerk reactions to viral social media opinions.”
