Lagos Waste Crisis Puts Wahab, Rhodes-Vivour on Collision Course

Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources Tokunbo Wahab and African Democratic Congress governorship candidate Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour have clashed over the state’s handling of waste management and flooding.

The exchange followed Rhodes-Vivour’s appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he criticised waste management in Lagos and recurring flooding, describing the city as “stinking.”

Wahab acknowledged some concerns but rejected the suggestion that the state had no structured waste-management plan beyond clearing accumulated refuse.

He said Lagos generates 13,000 to 15,000 tonnes of municipal waste daily, while the Lagos Waste Management Authority and private-sector operators evacuated about 418,500 tonnes in May 2026—an average of roughly 13,200 tonnes daily. He acknowledged that collection failures, underperforming operators and operational bottlenecks still affect some communities.

Wahab said delays at disposal facilities can slow truck turnaround, disrupt collection schedules and cause refuse to accumulate in neighbourhoods.

He cited the rehabilitation of Road E and additional disposal platforms at the Olusosun landfill, saying truck movements across disposal facilities rose to 1,866 in the week after the intervention. Olusosun alone recorded an increase from 574 to 1,012 truck trips.

Beyond emergency clearance, Wahab said the state is investing in modern transfer loading stations, material recovery facilities, recycling, composting and the Epe waste-to-energy project to reduce reliance on traditional disposal methods.

Rhodes-Vivour dismissed the response as “lengthy explanations, with little by way of solutions.”

He argued that accumulated refuse can worsen flooding when rain washes it into drainage channels, even if residents did not dump it there.

The ADC candidate called for clearing existing drains and major drainage channels, expanding roads and drainage infrastructure, and developing boardwalks or embankments along lagoon and river shorelines. He also proposed sluice gates and high-powered pumps to regulate inland water levels.

The dispute comes as waste management and flooding remain prominent concerns in Lagos ahead of the 2027 governorship election.