The Lagos State Government announced on Sunday that it is set to close the Olusosun and Solus landfills within the next 18 months as part of efforts to maintain a cleaner city.
The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, made the announcement, also responding to claims made by a corps member who recently suggested that Lagos had an unpleasant smell.
The government revealed that the landfills would be closed in order to transform them into modern Transfer Loading Stations, where waste would be sorted, compacted, and redirected to recycling facilities.
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According to the government, this initiative forms part of a comprehensive strategy to ensure a cleaner, more resilient, and livable city, countering widespread claims that the state has an unpleasant odour.
In a statement on Sunday, the commissioner firmly asserted that “Lagos is not ‘smelling’; it is evolving towards sustainable waste processing, modernised landfill management, cleaner waterways, and well-structured sanitation systems.”
He continued, “The current administration under Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu remains unwavering in its commitment to creating a cleaner, more sustainable city through strategic environmental initiatives.”
“Waste and sanitation challenges in a rapidly growing mega-city like Lagos require structural solutions, not mere sound bites or political rhetoric,” he added.
Other actions being taken by the state government, according to Wahab, include the installation of over 50 air quality monitors across the state at key locations to monitor industrial, transport, and household emissions.
Wahab stated that as part of the state’s THEMES Plus Agenda, the government had expanded waste collection services to hard-to-reach communities. In collaboration with the Ibeju Lekki Local Government, tricycle compactors have been introduced to provide waste collection services on a pay-as-you-go basis in areas with non-motorable roads.
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He also noted that Lagos is advancing its Waste to Energy project in Epe, which will process 2,500 tonnes of municipal solid waste daily and generate between 60 to 80 megawatts of electricity, contributing clean energy to the Lagos power grid.
The commissioner also highlighted the state’s street sanitation efforts, stating that 15,000 street sweepers are deployed daily across highways, inner roads, and markets, with stronger enforcement of environmental laws.
“In addressing open defecation, the state is engaging in continuous public awareness campaigns and constructing an additional 150 public toilets, which will be complemented by a further 250 to be built through a public-private partnership,” Wahab explained.
