The Lagos State Government has set up a taskforce to arrest those who defecate in open spaces.
This was disclosed on Thursday by the state’s Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab.
“The Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources today continue the total cleanup of Ojodu – Berger median, warns against defecating on the roadside, as the Lagos State government set up Taskforce to arrest offenders,” Wahab said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The announcement came a little over a week that the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) and the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA) launched a joint media campaign to ban open defecation along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, particularly targeting the median from OPIC Plaza to Otedola Bridge.
The initiative, the two agencies noted, was aimed at enhancing public health and environmental sustainability by preventing the spread of cholera and other communicable diseases while restoring the aesthetic appeal of the corridor, known as a gateway to Lagos.
“We will work with local governments, environmental health officers, market women, and law enforcement agencies to police this environment and report any infractions for legal action,” said General Manager of LASEPA, Dr. Babatunde Ajayi, at the launch.
At the Flag-off of Clean Nigeria: “Use the Toilet” Campaign held at the Ojo Local Government in April, the Permanent Secretary Office of Environmental Services, Dr. Omobolaji Gaji, reiterated the government’s determination to intensify the use of toilets in every community in Lagos.
According to him, the programme aims at ending open defecation in Nigeria by 2025. The campaign is spearheaded by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, UNICEF, some local and international partners for a holistic approach to eradicate open defecation.
”Imagine our country Nigeria and Lagos State as a whole where every citizen has access to clean and safe toilet facilities. A Nation where open defecation is a thing of the past, replaced by proper sanitation habits that protect both individuals and communities from disease and contamination,” Faji, who was represented at the event by Omoyeni Balogun, a Director in the Sanitation Service Department of the Office, had said.