The Lagos State Government has confiscated banned plastic materials worth about N5 million and removed more than 137,000 kilograms of plastic waste from the environment within the last year as part of intensified environmental sustainability efforts across the state.
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed this during the 2026 Ministerial Press Briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa.
Wahab said the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had continued to record significant progress in waste management, flood control, climate governance and water infrastructure development aimed at transforming Lagos into a cleaner and environmentally sustainable megacity.
According to the commissioner, the state is also constructing 20 new public toilet facilities comprising 200 toilet units and 40 bathrooms to curb open defecation across the metropolis. He added that over 1,710 public toilets are already operational statewide.
Wahab noted that Lagos currently generates over 13,000 metric tonnes of waste daily, necessitating a transition from the conventional “collect-and-dump” waste disposal model to a modern zero-waste economy driven by recycling, waste conversion and resource recovery.
He said the government had entered into strategic partnerships with local and international organisations to reduce pressure on landfill sites while creating economic opportunities within the waste management value chain.
As part of efforts to convert waste into useful resources, the commissioner revealed that the government commissioned a Waste-to-Energy Biodigester Plant at Ikosi Fruit Market in February.
According to him, the facility processes 0.5 tonnes of organic waste daily and generates 30kWh of electricity used for market lighting and cold storage facilities, while also contributing to carbon emission reduction.
Wahab stated that the Lagos Waste Management Authority expanded landfill infrastructure, improved operational efficiency and secured 12 new environmental sustainability partnerships within the review period.
In the healthcare sector, he disclosed that the state strengthened medical waste management through the deployment of 35 Private Sector Participation operators to healthcare facilities across Lagos.
He said between 80,000 and 105,000 kilograms of medical waste were treated monthly in more than 3,900 registered health facilities in the state.
The commissioner further revealed that environmental enforcement operations led to the arrest of 931 offenders for waste-related infractions. Authorities also inspected 2,251 facilities, issued 1,711 contravention notices and sealed 239 premises over environmental violations.
On climate governance, Wahab said Lagos retained its position as Nigeria’s leading state in climate governance for the second consecutive year after scoring 315 out of 360 in the 2025 Subnational Climate Governance Performance Rating.
He added that the state successfully hosted the 2025 Lagos International Climate Change Summit themed “Blue Economy, Green Money: Financing Africa’s Coastal Resilience and Ocean Innovation,” which attracted policymakers, climate experts and investors from across the world.
Wahab said the state government had intensified enforcement of the ban on Styrofoam and other single-use plastics to address environmental pollution and prevent drainage blockages.
Providing updates on flood control projects, the commissioner said the government carried out maintenance dredging of 18 primary drainage channels covering about 76 kilometres, while 179 secondary drainage collectors spanning 178 kilometres were cleaned statewide.
He added that officials identified 2,218 structures obstructing drainage alignments and removed 1,544 of them to restore waterways and minimise flooding in vulnerable communities.
According to him, contracts were also awarded for over 100 kilometres of secondary collector drains and 30 kilometres of primary drainage channels between April 2025 and April 2026 as part of efforts to achieve a flood-free Lagos.
In the water sector, Wahab disclosed that Governor Sanwo-Olu commissioned the rehabilitated one-million-gallon-per-day Akilo Mini Waterworks in Ogba to improve potable water supply to more than 100,000 residents in Agege, Ogba, Ojodu and neighbouring communities.
He added that the Adiyan Phase II Water Treatment Plant, expected to produce 70 million gallons of water daily, had reached 98 per cent pipeline installation completion and remained on course for delivery later in 2026.
Wahab also announced the deployment of robotic crawler technology by the Lagos Water Corporation for underground pipeline inspections to reduce water losses, improve leak detection and modernise water infrastructure management across the state.
