Lagos, Ogun team up against open defecation

The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency and the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency held a public sensitisation programme aimed at ending open defecation along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The agencies also engaged in further cleanup of the highway median, which was started by the Lagos government on Tuesday.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, on Tuesday, warned against open defecation as the cleanup commenced.

A statement by LASEPA on Wednesday said the Lagos and Ogun agencies’ focus was the median from the OPIC Plaza to the Otedola bridge inward Lagos end of the newly rehabilitated road.

The campaign and cleaning exercise was led by the General Manager, LASEPA, Dr Babatunde Ajayi, who said it was to raise awareness and encourage behavioral change among the residents.

Ajayi was joined by the Special Adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State on Environmental Protection Matters, Dr Oluwadare Kehinde, and Taiwo Abiodun, who represented the Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Ojodu Berger branch.

Ajayi said the campaign was needed to prevent cholera and other waterborne diseases, which posed significant health risks, particularly in urban areas with inadequate sanitation.

“Open defecation has become a pervasive problem in many communities globally, leading to serious health implications, particularly, cholera and other communicable diseases.

“When it rains, the likelihood of water contamination increases dramatically, leading to potential outbreaks of diseases,” Ajayi said.

While explaining how the median cleaning effort would be sustained, Ajayi stated that relevant stakeholders would be engaged by the two states to monitor the area against further degradation.

“We are actively flushing out the median from OPIC Plaza to Kara down to Otedola Bridge and after this, we will engage with local governments, environmental health officers, market women, NURTW staff and other law enforcement agents to collectively police this environment and report any further violation for necessary legal action,” he added.

Kehinde, representing the Ogun State government, commended LASEPA for leading the campaign, emphasising the necessity for inter-state collaboration in addressing environmental challenges.

He said, “LASEPA’s initiative is commendable, and it sets a strong precedent for how we can work together to tackle common issues.”

The representative of the Chairman, NURTW Ojodu Berger Branch, Taiwo Abiodun, pledged the union’s support for the campaign.