#EndMalariaInNigeria DEMANDS IMMEDIATE END TO OPEN DUMPING 

The #EndMalariaInNigeria Campaign strongly condemns the persistent failure of successive Lagos State governments since 1999 to establish a modern and sustainable waste management system, a failure that has now plunged Africa’s largest megacity into an avoidable public health emergency.

Our team has obtained disturbing video evidence from the Olusosun-Ojota open dumping site, showing dozens of waste collection trucks trapped in floodwaters, with several trucks and caterpillars submerged and immobilized inside the dumpsite. The situation has prevented licensed waste collection vendors from offloading refuse, leaving waste stranded across communities for Months.

The inevitable consequence is now visible across Lagos. Major highways, residential estates, markets, business districts and streets are overwhelmed by heaps of refuse, exposing millions of residents to foul odours, environmental pollution and increased risks of communicable diseases.

It is both shocking and unacceptable that the Olusosun-Ojota open dumpsite, located barely seven kilometres from the Lagos State Governor’s Office, has remained an open dumping ground throughout the administrations that have governed Lagos since 1999. Despite repeated promises of modernization, successive governments have failed to replace this obsolete and hazardous practice with internationally accepted waste management systems.

Open dumping has no place in a modern megacity. It contaminates land and groundwater, pollutes the air, attracts rats, flies and other pests, creates mosquito breeding sites through stagnant water, and exposes surrounding communities to continuous environmental and health hazards.

A government that cannot effectively manage waste cannot credibly claim to have made malaria a rare disease in Lagos State. Mosquitoes thrive in stagnant water commonly found around blocked drains, unmanaged refuse and poorly maintained dump sites. Likewise, no government can genuinely claim to be committed to preventing cholera, Lassa fever and other communicable diseases while allowing mountains of refuse to accumulate across communities and maintaining outdated open dumping practices.

The present crisis once again demonstrates that environmental health is inseparable from public health. Waste management is not merely an environmental issue; it is one of disease prevention, urban planning, human dignity and responsible governance.

The #EndMalariaInNigeria Campaign therefore demands the following:

1. Immediate closure of the Olusosun/Ojota open dumping site and a phased elimination of all open dumping across Lagos State.

2. Declaration of a state of emergency on waste management to restore regular refuse collection throughout the state.

3. Construction of modern sanitary landfills, transfer stations and engineered waste treatment facilities that meet international environmental standards.

4. Massive investment in recycling infrastructure, composting facilities and waste-to-energy technologies to reduce dependence on landfills.

5. Introduction of mandatory waste segregation at source for households, markets and businesses, supported by public education campaigns.

6. Deployment of modern technologies, including digital monitoring systems and artificial intelligence, to improve waste collection logistics and eliminate bottlenecks.

7. Rehabilitation and expansion of drainage infrastructure while intensifying environmental sanitation education through strengthened Environmental Health Departments across all local governments.

8. Immediate vector control interventions around refuse accumulation points to reduce mosquito breeding and prevent outbreaks of malaria and other vector-borne diseases.

Lagos cannot aspire to be a globally competitive city while relying on waste disposal methods that have long been abandoned in many parts of the world. The continued reliance on open dumping represents a failure of environmental governance and a direct threat to public health.

The people of Lagos deserve clean communities, efficient waste management and evidence-based environmental policies, not recurring refuse crises that endanger lives and livelihoods.

Signed:

Francis Nwapa 

Convener: #EndMalariaInNigeria

#ENDMALARIAINNIGERIA