Open defecation takes over 7.8km along Lagos, Ogun corridor

Open defecation has taken over a stretch of about 7.8 kilometres along the Lagos-Ogun corridor on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the General Manager (GM) of LASEPA, Dr Babatunde Ajayi, has said.

He spoke at a briefing organised on the forthcoming Lagos Sustainability Summit, titled: “Building a Resilient and Sustainable Lagos”.

He said, “Open defecation is one of the problems we have identified in our environment, and we are committed to solving that problem.

“There’s a population explosion, and the major access points and cluster areas are the places where you have open defecation.

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“There’s about a 7.8km stretch of open defecation in that axis into Ogun State.

“So, there’s a partnership with the Ogun State Government. We are not folding our hands. We are doing a lot in that aspect. We are doing clean ups. We are commissioning toilets. We are doing enforcement. We are also bringing lights into those corners.”

Ajayi added that some filling stations along the route had agreed to donate toilet facilities for free use.

City & Crime reports that the median on the Ojodu-Berger section of the road is now an eyesore, frequently defaced by faeces.

The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) and the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OSEPA) recently launched a joint enforcement drive on the highway, particularly targeting the median from OPIC Plaza to Otedola Bridge.

At the weekend, the Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, wrote on his X handle that more than 20 suspects had been arrested.