Growing concerns are mounting across several parts of Lagos as residents raise alarm over deteriorating environmental conditions, warning that mounting refuse, blocked drainage channels and offensive odours could trigger serious public health challenges during the peak of the rainy season.
The complaints, which have become widespread in recent weeks, centre on communities including Ketu, Itire, Lawson and Apapa, where residents say heaps of refuse have become a common sight along major roads and within residential neighbourhoods.
Many residents also expressed concern over dust, litter and indiscriminate waste disposal, arguing that the situation has worsened despite repeated appeals for more effective environmental sanitation measures.
With the rainy season now in full swing, environmental experts have consistently warned that blocked drains increase the risk of flooding, stagnant water and the spread of waterborne diseases if prompt evacuation of refuse is not carried out.
Residents are therefore urging the Lagos State Government to intensify waste collection, clear blocked gutters and enforce environmental sanitation regulations across affected communities before heavy rainfall compounds the situation.
Particular attention has been drawn to drainage systems that have become clogged with refuse, plastics and other debris, preventing the free flow of stormwater and increasing the likelihood of flooding.
Concerned residents believe that immediate intervention by relevant government agencies would help restore environmental hygiene and reduce potential health risks associated with poor waste management.
Some residents have also called on the Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, to personally oversee emergency sanitation efforts in the affected areas and provide updates on measures being implemented.
Rather than allowing the situation to deteriorate further, they urged the ministry to deploy additional waste evacuation trucks and strengthen collaboration with sanitation operators to improve refuse collection.
Environmental stakeholders also stressed the need for stricter enforcement against indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drainage channels, noting that such practices contribute significantly to blocked gutters during the rainy season.
They further called for sustained public awareness campaigns to encourage proper waste disposal and greater community participation in keeping neighbourhoods clean.
Public health professionals have repeatedly emphasised that cleaner surroundings reduce the risk of disease outbreaks, especially during periods of heavy rainfall when contaminated floodwater can spread infections more easily.
Residents insist that swift action this weekend would reassure communities that government remains committed to protecting lives, property and public health through effective environmental management.
They also appealed for a comprehensive cleanup exercise covering Ketu, Itire, Lawson, Apapa and other affected parts of the state, saying visible improvements would restore public confidence in environmental governance.
As rainfall intensifies across Lagos, residents say the moment calls for decisive action through aggressive refuse evacuation, drainage clearance and stronger sanitation enforcement to safeguard public health and prevent avoidable environmental hazards.