Residents and business owners in the Oshodi area of Lagos State have decried the growing heaps of refuse littering major roads and inner streets in the community, accusing the Lagos Waste Management Authority of failing to evacuate waste for months.
During a visit to the area on Monday, GOSSIPSNG Metro observed large piles of refuse dumped outside residential buildings and business premises.
The stretch of Oshodi Road linking Mafoluku Road was dotted with overflowing waste heaps, while other affected areas included Daodu Street, Oluwole Street, Rufai Street, Yusuf Street, Afariogun Street and several adjoining roads like Adewale Crescent within the community.
A resident, Kemi Balogun, said repeated complaints by residents had yielded no result.
“The refuse has been here for over three months, and it keeps increasing every day. We can barely stay outside our building to get some fresh air because of the smell. Before you came, we were already discussing posting videos online so that maybe the authorities would feel embarrassed enough to act,” she said.
Another resident, Korede Salau, accused LAWMA of failing to provide services despite residents paying their monthly waste bills regularly.
“We pay our LAWMA dues regularly, yet the refuse is not evacuated. As you can see, heaps of waste are scattered across the streets. It is an eyesore, and the government needs to act quickly because the entire environment has become uncomfortable,” he said.
A business owner, Adetoun Fasasi, said the situation had begun affecting patronage.
“Customers complain whenever they come here, and some leave almost immediately because of the smell. Before now, we tried alternative means of disposing of waste through cart pushers, but we can no longer find them,” she lamented.
The worsening situation has also heightened fears of a possible disease outbreak, as residents described the stench emanating from the refuse dumps as unbearable.
Another resident, Wasiu Adebayo, described the situation as an embarrassment to people living in the area.
“This is not the first time this has happened. A few months ago, there was public outrage over waste disposal problems across Lagos, and now it has returned again. Everywhere is dirty, and nobody seems to care. We are exposed to the risk of disease outbreaks because of the offensive odour and unhygienic environment created by these refuse heaps. Flies and mosquitoes have taken over the area, and whenever it rains, dirty water flows into the streets and compounds. We are the ones suffering this every day,” he lamented.
A food vendor, who spoke on condition of anonymity for personal reasons, said the refuse heaps had become a health concern for residents and business owners alike.
“We cook and sell food around here, yet refuse is piled almost beside us. The smell becomes worse in the afternoon when the sun is hot. We are worried about diseases because children also pass through these roads every day,” she said.
Some residents also expressed fears that the mounting refuse could block drainage channels ahead of the rainy season and worsen flooding in the area. They called on the Lagos State Government to intervene urgently.
For about six months, from August 2025 into early 2026, residents across Lagos repeatedly raised concerns over the worsening state of waste management, as heaps of refuse littered road medians, streets and major highways in several parts of the state.
Efforts to get a reaction from the spokesperson for LAWMA, Olabamiji Sanusi, were unsuccessful, as calls to his telephone line were not answered. A text message sent to him had yet to be replied to as of the time of filing this report.
